Castlevania by Candlelight
by Ysavvryl
Summary: Two powerful vampires, Vlad Tepes and Olrox Llednir, are engaged in a farce of a war for control over Castlevania, as the latter has challenged the former's claim to being Lord Dracula. But in the middle of this conflict is one thirteen-year-old boy who only wants to find his mother.
1. Country Road

Author's Note: This story requires a bit of explaining, so bear with me please. This is an experiment in form; I wanted to try writing something with multiple endings, such as what you can find in some Castlevania games. This requires multiple paths and going over some scenes two or three times. However, I will label ending and decision point chapters clearly in the title, as well as add references when the flow switches. This will make the story have a lot of chapters, but I don't think it's that long overall.

For the sake of clarity, this is not an interactive CYOA story. It is styled like CYOA books, where all of the paths and endings have been written before publication and reader response has no affect on outcomes. So this does comply with site rules.

But I would love to hear from readers, especially on how this unusual structure works out.

* * *

_Castlevania by Candlelight_

**Country Road**

Everything seemed so orange in this light: the cloudy sky with the setting sun, the dusty road underneath his feet, even the green plants and trees around him. It was an eerie time of early twilight, when the day was starting to end and the night was starting to stir. And with that night came evil creatures who prayed on mankind. The boy had to get home before night fully fell, or this road would be too dangerous to travel.

But even more important than that… he had to get home because he felt sick. Not sick enough to keep him from running, but... it was so strange. It was a feeling that sometimes stirred inside him, but never this strong. He knew what it was, a spiritual sickness that came from some curse that he had been born under. When it struck, he had disturbing thoughts and wishes. If he focused enough and prayed, it usually went away. But it had never struck so strongly before.

Looking ahead, he spotted an old man by a house on the road. This wouldn't be good. He moved over towards the other side of the road, hopping over horse droppings in the way. But the thumps of his feet against the old stone road were unmistakable. The old man looked up to him, giving him a smile and a wave. "Good evening, Adrian."

Swallowing his anxiety, he replied, "Good evening, sir," and kept running. But as he passed by, it happened. He smelled it.

And he felt a strong desire to tackle the old man and beat him up. And then… he didn't let himself think on that further. It might tempt and trick him into actually doing it. Adrian ran on.

The next house he spotted was his own, a small peasant's cottage like most every other building around. It was small, brown, and plain, nothing out of the ordinary. To him, it was home and it mattered a great deal. To others, it was a little special, as the home of the local herbalist and midwife. He ran past their small plot of borrowed land and entered.

Inside, it still wasn't much: dirt floor, old wooden furniture, dried herbs and food. A little candle lamp was already lit in the middle of the room, a copper and glass casing that held a single beeswax candle, to protect it from drafts and their home from fires. By the lamp on the table, there was a wooden cross on a braided cord. Adrian snatched that, then went to a chair in the corner and sat down. Holding the cross in both hands, he put it to his chest.

There was an immediate revulsion that erupted in his mind, so strong that he nearly dropped the cross. Instead, he gripped it tighter and closed his eyes. It would pass. If he kept his faith in God and kept his mind right, then eventually his mind would be fully his own, freed from the curse. But when? And why was he cursed like this?

Someone else entered the room, a blond haired woman in a tan dress. "Adrian? What's the matter?" She started to come over to him.

And despite holding onto the cross, those dark thoughts came back, even worse than before. They didn't last long, but he put the cross to his forehead. "Mother, stay back. I… it's bad."

She clasped her hand to her chest. "All right," she said reluctantly, worried. She decided to leave the house again and went back outside to check over her plants once more.

Several minutes went by, seeming like several hours. Finally, Adrian felt his curse lapse back into silence. He went outside to let his mother know that he was okay now; the oranges were quickly slipping into violets and some stars were starting to appear. They went inside where they would be safe from most dangers.

Feeling uncertain after that flare-up of the curse, Adrian tried to stay away from it while they spoke over a humble dinner of vegetable stew. "We'll want to be careful about saving up food for this winter," he told his mother. "Many of the crops are falling to a disease which rots them before they even ripen. We spent all yesterday trying to kill the sickly crops, but more came up bad today."

"I see. This winter could be hard, then. With that and the wars of the forces of darkness…" she bowed her head for a moment, then looked to him. "Adrian, it's about time that you know the nature of your curse."

The nature of the curse, the very subject he didn't want to talk about now. Biting his lip, he nodded. "All right."

She patted his hand. "You've been a brave boy to deal with it, but you will have to be braver yet, and stronger, to face the truth of this curse. But you've seen thirteen summers now. It's about time you knew. First, what happened to trigger it today?"

"I…" he hesitated, reluctant to admit it. But then he thought that if he was going to understand it, his mother needed to know what the truth was. "I got into a fight with John. I tried to avoid it, but he was saying terrible things about us. At one point, I punched him in the nose and broke it. He started bleeding and then the curse triggered more intensely than ever. And there was something different this time. I wanted to taste his blood for some reason. But that sickened me. Only the monsters and followers of hell do that."

"Did you do it?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. I ran off and washed my hands off by the well, then came straight home because I couldn't shake the curse. I had been getting good at it too, but this one was just so strong."

"I see." She sighed. "Thank goodness you didn't. If that desire comes back, don't do it. You must not taste the blood of others, Adrian."

"I know," he replied. "That's wrong."

"And it's dangerous for you. You see… you're not entirely human."

Frightened at the implications of that, he looked right at her, hoping that it wasn't the worst. "I'm not?"

"No. Your father is one of the vampires leading a force in the ongoing war the darkness is fighting against itself. He is the one called Vlad Tepes. At least, that is the name he gave me as his." She brought her arms closer to herself, saddened and ashamed at that.

He had dreaded hearing he was part demon. But this? "How can that be?" he asked, leaning forward. "The vampires are dead beings and no life can come from death."

"It should be that way," she agreed. "But that's the only way you could have been born to me. It may have been the gifts he brought me, as he gave me foods that he said were desired in the far east, strange fruits and different breads. Or it may have been that he is powerful for his kind. I saw Vlad in the daytime, which is how I came to trust him, even love him. But when I found out his true nature, I got afraid and ran away. He did pursue me, but he did not kill me. Instead, he said that he would leave me alone, but if he discovered that I was seeing any other man, he would make sure the both of us suffered immensely.

"Then I found that I was pregnant and I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't know what you would become, if you would be some devil who would attempt to devour me or if you would be some other monster. I was thankful when you were born a human, but then the priest told me that you had traces of dark magic in your blood. It wasn't enough to condemn you, but we knew it would make you suffer. After researching it, he said that if you did not taste a drop of blood until you were a full grown man, than the dark magic might weaken, leaving you like any other mortal human. If not, perhaps turning your life entirely over to God and becoming a monk or priest might vanquish it for good."

"I'm almost grown," Adrian said, looking at his hands. He had grown much taller recently, and he was starting to take other signs of being a man.

"But not fully," she reminded him. "This stage in your life will be most crucial, most difficult. The dark magic will try anything it can to earn your devotion, but you must resist it. No matter what power it may give you, it is still a power from hell and will eternally condemn you. I would help how I can but… it may soon be too dangerous for you to be with me. If I am near you when it is close to my blood's time, well…" she shook her head. "We should send you to the monastery soon. Being in a holy place like that, with those who know that you cannot be near the sight or smell of blood, should help you with the curse."

Adrian felt uncomfortable. He loved his mother dearly and didn't want to move away from her. But if what she said was right, his curse would continue to increase in severity. He had to admit that he had known about a woman's cycle before most boys, as his curse had always acted up in sync with his mother's time. He just hadn't realized that it was because of the blood. "We'll have to inform the lord," he said, accepting the change for now.

"Yes, and soon. And it looks like you could use an early sleep."

Reminded of that, he yawned. "Yeah. Mother, did my father really love you, or was it just some… something else?'

"I'm not certain," she said, getting up to clean the remains of dinner. "There is one thing that makes me wonder, though. I got a lot of gossip and harassment when I had a child out of wedlock, but it didn't last long. Any man who has attempted to use that against me for his own pleasure has disappeared, never to be seen again. If not him, than someone is watching out for me from the darkness." She came over and patted his shoulder. "I still won't let the darkness take you from me."

* * *

One of the forces of darkness was just outside their home.

Adrian's mind jerked itself awake, somehow sensing this threat. For a moment, his body was still paralyzed with sleep. It was a nightmarish sensation, being alert but unable to move. The familiar scent of herbs drying in the hut tried to lull him back to sleep and relaxation. But there was danger nearby and he didn't want to be caught asleep. He struggled to fully awaken.

As he finally managed to stir his body into working, he heard a door shut. Adrian opened his eyes, noticing that the candle on the table was still lit. By its small light, he saw no one. He got to his feet, stumbling a bit, then crept over to the window.

His mother was outside, still wearing her tan dress. By her, there was a being like no other Adrian had seen, and one that was stronger than any he had encountered. He could feel that in his blood, as if the dark taints knew this creature. With an unusually large scythe attached to its back, it was covered in a ragged frail looking black cloak. It extended its arm to her, revealing a hand made entirely of white bone.

"It does not matter, Lisa Fahrenheit," the creature said in a harsh voice that seemed too deep for a skeletal being. "I have been requested to take you elsewhere and I will take you, no matter what mortal matters you believe are more important. Be glad you have been asked for alive." It then bound her in shadows.

Adrian felt panicked. He wanted to shout… but what good would it do? While his body was finally awake, he had no weapons. At least, on hand.

"I have forsaken all studies into darkness," his mother said firmly. Adrian admired her courage and thought he should be the same. So he turned around and pulled a rug off the floor. Underneath, there was a wooden door, dusty as they had to hide it from the lord. He opened it, feeling that the danger from the lord was less than that from the dark being outside.

In a hidden hole, there was a sword and a shield. Both were painted red and white, with arm supports on the back of the shield. These two items had come from his mother's family, from when his ancestors had been knights. As both were masterwork weapons, one of a keen edge, the other of a sturdy front, they were extremely valuable. They were also the only treasures Lisa and Adrian had from that legacy, hence them being hidden.

Looking back out the window after taking the items, it seemed to be too late already. Both his mother and the dark being were gone. However, there was a large darkly glowing portal where they had been standing. Perhaps he still had time. Adrian hurriedly got his clothes on, putting the wooden cross around his neck and under his shirt, then put on the sword's belt. He attached the shield to his left arm and then…

He looked to the candle in its lantern. He meant to put it out. However, such sources of light were often harmful to creatures of darkness. It could be useful… but the candle was already half gone. Grabbing his mother's sidepack, he found a box of replacement candles and dumped them all into the pack, along with the flint. Then he took the lantern by its handle and left the house.

Thankfully, the portal was still there. Was it weakening? Something told him it was. Perhaps his curse allowed him to sense such things. Without thinking twice, Adrian stepped through the dark portal.


	2. Twin Stone Bridges

**Twin Stone Bridges**

There was a brief moment of absolute cold that bit into his skin, but it disappeared as he stepped out of the other end of the portal. It had dropped him into a dark forest. The pale light of the nearly full moon filtered through the full leaves, making them appear black and foreboding. After the portal vanished, he saw that he was on another stone road, with tough weeds forcing their way through the cracks. It went two ways, so where had the dark being taken his mother?

Before long, he heard it speak not too far off. "It won't hurt if you don't struggle so much," it stated. It was on the downhill side, so Adrian headed that way. "I could have just taken you straight there, but I wanted you to see the place for yourself. This is what Vlad is fighting for: Castlevania."

The boy did his best to hurry along the road, but not make too much noise. It was hard; he could soften his footsteps, but the candles clattered together in the pack and the shield occasionally hit the sword. Recently, he had been taken lessons in fighting, hoping for a chance to earn a spot as a knight's squire, or even just a page boy. That was looking less and less likely as he was growing. But those lessons weren't in the dark, or in places like this.

Adrian stepped on a loose pile of rock without realizing it and slipped to the ground. With a noisy thump and a clatter of stones, he feared that he would be caught. His heart pounded in his chest and he looked ahead, willing the dark being not to notice, somehow. Nothing happened. Had they moved on? He got back up and hurried on his way.

Around a corner, he stopped as he saw what the dark being had shown his mother. A short distance away, a stone bridge started. It was mirrored by a second bridge to the right and both heading across a large dark lake. On the other end of the bridges, there was a road that headed up a cliff, which lead eventually to a grand castle.

In the moonlight, it seemed eerie and indistinct. The walls around it were of an irregular shape and size, going up and down like rolling hills. At the edges, there were five tall towers that soared high above the rest, but they were all dwarfed by a much larger and taller tower in the center. He could faintly see the reflection of a clock's face and the outlines of spindly halls from the tops of the five towers to the near top of the clock tower.

And neither his mother nor the dark being were anywhere to be seen.

Adrian pulled the lantern closer to his chest. It had said that it wanted her to see the place she was being taken to. So she was in that castle? All of a sudden, this seemed like a really bad idea. He was still a boy of thirteen years, with only a few years training. This place seemed like a warlord's castle, heavily defended, in an obscure location, bearing an aura of darkness. But he wasn't looking to overthrow it. He just wanted to rescue his mother.

He decided to do it. Picking his way down the path more carefully, he arrived at the bridge. It was wide enough for a single cart to pass, but was extremely long. But he walked roads like this to reach the nearest town on market days. One couldn't think of how long it was; one had to just keep on the road.

In the air, he heard the flapping of wings. Bats. Some of them dove at him, but screeched as they pulled away. Maybe the candle was keeping them away. Adrian kept going.

Then something moved at the edge of the candle's light. Slowing, he thought he saw a person dressed in rags ahead of him. "Hello?" he called out.

The person came towards him, walking as if he had a limp. But as he got closer, Adrian saw that this wasn't a normal person. Half of his face was ripped off, revealing rotting muscle and yellowed bone. The other half of his face had skin, but was bloated and pale, missing the eyeball. Groaning in a way that made his jaw come disconnected, the zombie shuffled towards Adrian, sensing his fresh young flesh. It gave off a horrendous smell of death.

Feeling like he was going to throw up, Adrian brought his shield up and took a step back. He had heard tales of the creatures of darkness, but it was a very different matter meeting them for himself. It didn't help any when the zombie, without warning, leapt at him to get closer. Not only did it fail to reach him, but it fell right on its face, causing a moan of pain. Then it slowly started to get back up.

Adrian steeled himself. This wasn't the time to chicken out. If his mother could face down that skeletal creature, then he should be able to fight off this zombie. He put his lantern in his shield hand; it blocked much of the light, but allowed him to draw his sword. He attempted to decapitate the zombie as it was getting up. That was harder than it looked, as he barely got a third of the way through the creature's neck. Still, it kept getting up, even though its head was now angled awkwardly.

As it was the size of an average adult, hitting the neck was now out of his range. He attempted to thrust through the creature's chest. He would have hit the heart, if his target was a living human. Being undead, the zombie's spine snapped, causing the top half of its body to crumple over. It merely moaned and continued trying to walk towards him. Adrian hit its neck again. His strike didn't fully take off the head, but what remained was too weak to hold on. As the zombie's head fell off, it finally collapsed into a heap of bones, its flesh turning to dust.

Smiling slightly, Adrian felt proud for a moment at having defeated the dark creature. But then another moan, no two, caught his attention. When he shifted his shield around to let the candle illuminate the area ahead, he saw five more zombies, ragged and rotted like the one he had just defeated. They were lumbering his way.

That killed his moment of pride. Given how long it had taken to defeat the first zombie, five might exhaust him. And even though they were slow, a group of them could overwhelm him. What did he do now?

The answer came with a clattering of hooves. For a moment, Adrian thought it was a goat, which seemed out of place here. But then a battle cry pierced the lake's quiet. A skeletal horse came galloping his way, bearing an equally skeletal rider. Neither of them had an inch of flesh or muscle on them, although the horse had a torn leather saddle and the rider wore a ragged red scarf and a battered iron helmet. As they rode by, the rider slashed his sword at the zombies, destroying them all in one blow each. Adrian felt the wind off that blade as it passed harmlessly over his head.

Jerking the bridle, the rider forced the horse to stop, then turn around and come back slower. They stopped by Adrian. The rider looked down at the boy with his empty eye sockets. "Well who do we have here?" he asked in a rattling voice.

"I'm Adrian," he replied out of politeness, although he was uncertain if he should be afraid.

"Adrian…" the rider dismounted and walked over to him. He clacked his teeth. "What's with the light? So repugnant. Mortal child, you…" the skeleton stopped, tapping his bony finger against Adrian's head. "Mortal? You have that smell, but also darkness… and light. Argh!" The rider gripped his skull, shaking it and stepping back. Then he drew his sword again. "You little…! I don't know what you are, but I don't like things that confuse me. Better destroy you too, just in case."

Afraid again, Adrian brought up his sword to parry the skeleton. It wasn't necessary though, as the skeleton's swing went wide, smashing the piles of zombie remains. The boy then went to attack the skeleton's spine; perhaps he would fall apart like the zombie. However, his sword only caused a thwacking sound, sending a group of sparks flying. The skeleton then grabbed his sword in both hands, brought it over his head, and slammed it down.

It would have cracked Adrian's skull, but he managed to step out of the attack. The skeleton's larger blade ended up jamming itself into the stone bridge. Feeling a sick wonder at the strength of the creature, the boy tried attacking again. Again, he got little results, just sparks.

Its bones had to be as hard as stone to be doing that. He didn't have enough strength to really damage this skeleton. However, its red scarf… that gave him an idea. While it was still trying to pull its blade out of the bridge, Adrian struck its bones near where the scarf was flapping. The sparks didn't fly the way he wanted, so he moved around to the back of the skeleton and tried again. He nearly got run into when the skeleton rider finally got its sword unstuck.

But that did it; the flying sparks hit the creature's scarf and started burning. The flame flared up as the skeleton rider spun around to slash wildly at him again. Adrian ducked and attacked again. Knowing it was useless, he just wanted to distract his foe. The fire eventually engulfed the scarf, then reached the skeleton.

With a piercing shriek, the skeleton rider panicked as he caught on fire. His bones may have been as tough as stones, but they burned like dry frail wood. The skeleton horse whinnied and kicked the rider away, but it didn't run off spooked. Striking the stone bridge hard, the rider fell apart, quickly becoming nothing but charred bones and a now rusty sword.

Would the horse attack him now? Adrian looked up at the beast, which was taller than any horse he had seen. It didn't have anything that would easily catch on fire. And even without the bulk of flesh and muscle, those hooves seemed quite strong. The horse walked up to him, snorting.

He brought his shield up, but the horse nipped at his shoulder, then somehow lifted him up and placed him in its saddle. Had it disjointed its own neck to do that? For a moment, Adrian was too bewildered to do anything. Then the skeleton horse snorted again, stamping one of its hooves. It was eager to run, no matter who was on its back.

Putting his sword up, Adrian shifted the lantern back to his right hand. Then he took the horse's bridle, giving it the nudge that told most trained horses to trot. This one didn't listen and took off at full gallop instead. Although he felt like he'd get thrown, the boy managed to stay on. The skeleton horse made quick progress along the bridge, much faster than Adrian would have managed even without zombies and skeletons coming after him.

Looking around by the moonlight, he saw things that he would have never imagined before. There were tall banners stirring in the light wind, showing bloody scenes like one would expect in a war. There were sharp poles that had human heads jammed onto them. All along the bridge, there were piles of zombie remains from the skeleton rider's attack. But there were still active zombies shuffling about, in various states of decay and neglect. Some were trampled underneath the horse's hooves as it didn't bother to avoid them. Bats still flew above him, statues turned to look at him, and off in the lake, something large with sharp spines swam just under the surface. On the cliff face, there was a wide waterfall, but even this seemed like it hid some macabre threat. Was this point an entrance to hell? Adrian shivered.

The skeleton horse crossed the bridge, but continued galloping up the path. It passed over a wooden bridge, which ran over a mountain river that fed into the moat, which must have entered the lake by the waterfall. And then it finally stopped, at the open drawbridge to the castle. The horse then twisted its neck about and dropped Adrian off in the same manner it had picked him up.

The boy looked up to the horse. Although possibly demonic in nature, it still had helped him out. "Thank you," he said.

Snorting again, the horse turned and galloped back to the stone bridges.

Adrian then looked at the castle itself. He had seen another castle once, a grand stone wall that surrounded a large town and kept its inhabitants safe. However, this one seemed like a twisted version of the other. It was foreboding, its gargoyles glaring at any potential invader. Tall spikes lined the top of the misshapen walls. Overhead, the clock tower dwarfed everything else. It was difficult not to feel insignificant standing at the entrance to this place.

It was Castlevania, right? What Vlad… his father was fighting for. And where his mother was likely being held. But how was he to find her in such an enormous place? What lay inside if zombies and skeleton creatures guarded the path here? Still, he'd come too far to give up now. Adrian crossed the drawbridge, his footsteps making wooden thumps no matter how he tried to walk quietly.

The gate into the castle had hefty metal bars, but they were lifted for some reason. He was able to walk through the gate with no resistance. Inside, an arched hallway glowered at him. It was short in length, but there were holes in the ceiling and in the walls. At any moment, arrows, sharpened spikes, or burning oil could come through any one of those holes. Or something even worse. But no attacks came. It was quiet, just his footsteps, breathing, and heartbeat to be heard.

At the end of the gatehouse, there was a large set of double doors. Made of hard wood and braced with dark metal, it seemed ready to take on any siege machine that somehow managed to get here. There was a large ring door knocker in the center, and handles inside lion mouths. Adrian didn't know if it would work, but he took the right handle and pushed it. To his surprise, the door opened with a long creak and little effort.

Adrian entered Castlevania.


	3. Switch 1: Silent Courtyard

**Switch One: The Silent Courtyard**

There was a courtyard here, of cobblestone paths, rose bushes, and large vines growing up the walls. A statue stood in the middle, watching over any who entered. When he actually looked at the things, though, they were troubling. The vines bore fruit that appeared to be shrunken heads with over large jaws and teeth. The rose bushes bore blossoms that were as black as the night sky, as red as blood, and as pale as the moonlight, all bearing numerous sharp thorns. And the statue, it was of a winged demon, with ragged leathery wings, coarse fur all over his body, a long thin tail with a pointed end, and horns growing from his forehead. Yet he had the bearing of a king, as if he were a previous ruler. Or even present.

Adrian looked around nervously, but there seemed to be no monsters here. Bats and ravens flew overhead, but didn't come down to bother him. There were some skeletons lying about, but they did not seem inclined to rise up and attack. Past the devil statue, there were two large doors, both marked with a seal. The one on the right was that of a crouching wolf, preparing for attack while a bat flew overhead. The one on the left was that of a lizard man warrior bearing a shield and a spear.

And in between them, there was a piece of leather parchment, hung on long bones. The skin had been bleached, or something, for it was pale enough for the black ink to show up well on. There were words in an unfamiliar script, but the letters and the words he could read, thanks to his mother's lessons. It held mention of his father.

'Following the call of darkness, the challenge for authority over Castlevania has begun. Lord Vladimir Tepes Dracula has accepted the challenge from Olrox Llednir. Death has acknowledged both souls as strong and has agreed to the match, but has not yet decided on which shall best lead the forces of darkness as Lord Dracula. Thus, both have been given dominion over a part of Castlevania, from which to take over the rest and claim the ultimate power of darkness on Earth. This courtyard and the throne room shall remain neutral grounds until Death's judgment is passed.'

So there was no master to this castle currently, only two men fighting it out for that title. Adrian worried that he or his mother might get caught in the crossfire between the two adversaries. But if he was to rescue his mother, he had to act quickly. He looked to the two doors, wondering which man owned which seal.


	4. Ending of the Fool

**Ending of the Fool**

Adrian decided to take the left door, the one marked by the lizard man warrior. It led into a darkened hall, lit only by the moonlight. The elaborate iron structures in the windows cast strange shadows on the floor, like snakes frozen on the ground and waiting to strike. In the darkness, there were forms of things: tablecloths draped on tables, unlit chandeliers, claw footed couches, and some things that he couldn't fully identify. One time, he thought he saw a knight waiting to attack. But the flickering light of the candle revealed that it was just an empty suit of armor.

With the candle giving a yellow circle of light around him, Adrian moved through the room, looking for some clue, or a map. He found several parchment sheets with strange yet interesting drawings on them. One showed a number of people in a church, including a king, a queen, and a devout family. While they all seemed pious and good in that picture, the others showed very different sides to these people. The king was shown with a hoard of gold and jewels, but ignoring them in favor of trying to get another diamond off a courtesan. The queen was shown beating her servants and holding a woman captive, seemingly just because the other woman was prettier. The father was shown drunk, while his wife was dancing scandalously for other men. Their children were setting fire to a rabbit hole and tormenting the poor creatures.

Those pictures bothered him (except the one with the dancing woman, which was intriguing in its own way). But a piece of text with them tried to rationalize them as normal. 'All people are hypocrites; I have learned this lesson all too many times. In front of others and before the symbols of goodness, they will claim to be good and honest people. But once they are free to be themselves, they are tainted by the darkness, sometimes to corruption, sometimes to being dark to their very core. This hypocrisy causes much grief. I say, why should we play this charade at all? We should open ourselves to the darkness and accept ourselves for who we truly are. Then, we can enjoy the pleasures and the powers of the world without feeling needless shame and guilt. Do not lie to yourselves, humans. You want what you call vices more than what you call virtues. Accept this and open the way to a world of dark pleasures.'

That wasn't right. Adrian knew it was so. One shouldn't enjoy themselves at the expense of others. There didn't seem anything else in this room of interest, so he started to leave. A clank of metal moving behind him caused him to freeze, then turn around quickly.

It was that suit of armor, emerging from its place. Strange vapors came from it, things that he could barely see. It moved slowly, but it was definitely coming for him. Fighting off a panic, Adrian hurried to the door and opened it. When he was through, he shut it firmly. He still heard clanking footsteps, so he walked into the room he had entered.

But this one was completely dark. Only his candle gave light. Lifting his lantern up, he saw that the candle inside was almost out, on the last bit of its wick. He needed to fix that, soon. Seeing a form in the darkness, he stepped forward and found a small table with nothing on it. That would work. He placed the lantern there, opened the door to it, then reached for the sidebag to get a new candle out.

"Prudent of you, bringing a lantern in here," a strange thin voice came out of the darkness.

Adrian stopped. "Who's there?" he asked, trying to sound braver than he was.

"That's the only thing keeping the Grues from eating you right now," the voice said, ignoring his question. "They're keeping out of that candle's range, but they're out there." A few footsteps sounded, coming up near him, but not close enough to be seen clearly. "You're a strange boy, now. You… you smell like… his blood." The voice turned into a hiss at the end.

"What do you mean?" Adrian asked. But then a cold wind struck him, snuffing out the small flame.

It was dark, and there were Grues out there…


	5. Castle Entrance

_Back to Switch 1: Adrian needs to choose between two doorways, one with the seal of a lizard, one with the seal of a wolf._

**The Castle Entrance**

Adrian decided to take the right door, the one with the wolf and the bat. This led to a dim hallway, lit by the moonlight and small candles on the walls. After his long ride over the zombie infested bridge, this place was strangely mundane. It reminded him of some rooms in the lord's house, with couches that had fabric coverings and padded seats, and tables with fancy cloths and expensive items, and paintings of various scenes. There was even carpeting that sent up little clouds of dust as he walked on it. About the only thing reminding him that he was in a dangerous place was how all the paintings were of violent and cruel battles.

Looking at the candles on the wall, he decided to check his own lantern. It was about gone, melted into a pool of gooey wax. Adrian set the lantern on a table, blew out the last of the flame, then set to removing the wax while it was still warm and pliable. Normally, he and his mother saved leftover wax for other uses, but there wasn't anywhere here to obviously put it. He threw it into a nearby fireplace, then lit a new candle with one of the ones on the wall. The lantern seemed to help keep some monsters away.

Right as he got done, he heard something approaching from outside. Not wanting to risk the thing coming in through the large windows, Adrian went to the door and passed through it to the next room. There were no windows here, just a large fireplace and two more doors. There was someone, or something, here. Over by the corner, there was a figure in a red and gold cloak, like some old widow who told fortunes. Her long black gloves traced over a crystal ball and her shrouded face seemed to be looking into it intently.

But Adrian was soon distracted from the old fortune teller by a pair of large paintings over the fireplace. One was of a woman that he didn't recognize; a plaque at the bottom labeled it as someone called Elisabeth. The other was a woman that he recognized, a woman with long blond hair and soft green eyes. She was younger looking and dressed more elaborately than he was used to, but he knew her. "Mother…" he said softly, approaching the fireplace. Why was this painting here?

Then something rattled in the fire, causing him to stop in his tracks. Various burned body parts fell out, then rose up to form a scorched man. When his parts were approximately in place, he set his body on fire. The scorching man then ran over and tried to tackle Adrian. He got his shield up in time, but fell back a few steps when hit.

The old fortune teller then raised her hooded head and shrieked. "No! Don't you dare!"

But the scorching man did not listen and came after the boy again, batting his shield aside, then grabbing him and throwing him into the wall. Adrian felt a shock as his head was hit. For a moment, he wasn't sure what was going on. A form of ice like a spear shot through the air and struck the scorching man. That still didn't deter him.

A shimmering black shield did, or at least kept him from attacking. "Master, come hence if you will," the fortune teller called out.

Adrian tried to get up, but his body hurt too much from being slammed into the wall. His vision blurred as someone else appeared in the room. "What is it now, you two?" the man asked. All that Adrian could see of him was black hair, a tall black collar, and a long black cape. "I have an inclination to replace both of you if you keep arguing."

"I was taking care of an intruder," the scorching man said in a voice that was difficult to understand, as if he was not intended to speak.

"But that boy, I see something in him," the fortune teller said. "Is he not touched by your power?"

Still dazed, Adrian looked up as the man turned and approached him. There was something about the pallor of his skin and the redness of his eyes that was unnatural, much more so than his own paleness. The man held his hand up to the scorching man, who had tried to come closer. "He is. I'll handle him."

What were they going to do to him? And his mother? Adrian wanted to run, but his body would not listen and his mind was going out.

Before it did, the man picked him up. "Don't be afraid," he said softly. "I'm your father. Once they know, they will not harm you."


	6. Alchemy Laboratory

**Alchemy Laboratory**

He was sitting in a chair. A rough weave covered it, but extra stuffing padded it out to make it comfortable. In a sleepy haze, Adrian leaned his head forward and started to drift off to sleep again. His head still hurt and it had been a long day in the fields. But then a bony hand pushed his shoulder back, a cold feel with a lingering smell of a mausoleum. Grumbling softly, he brought his head up and back to look at who disturbed him.

Immediately, he regretted doing so. It was a skull within a black hood; instead of eyes, it had a dim red glow, like coals just after a flame had died. It was the dark creature that had stolen his mother.

Before his mind could stir up to a proper reaction, the bony creature touched his eyelids and gently caused them to shut. Adrian felt like his energy was being drained somehow… getting sleepier. But he couldn't seem to cross fully into sleep. On the edge of waking and dreaming, he heard the being speak. "I knew you had been pushing the limits of your being, Matthias, but I was not aware that you had gone far enough to create life." He spoke the last words in distaste.

"That name is dead to me," his father said. There were sounds being made near his voice, things that reminded Adrian of times his mother was at work creating medicinal potions.

Adrian tried to open his eyes, managing bare slits. He noticed that he was dressed differently now, much nicer than he was accustomed to. There was a neat white shirt, with buttons even, as well as a black jacket with twirling silver decorations that fascinated him for a moment. He had black pants and even new shoes (although his half-asleep mind wouldn't read his vision that far). However, he still wore his wooden cross, under the shirt. It was almost like being a lord's son, or even a prince.

The eerie voice spoke up again. "What are you trying to prove? Calling me to bring that woman here, then finding this child…"

"I am proving the apathy of God. His power is not absolute and He doesn't care when we break the rules. He doesn't care if we follow the rules either. My son proves my power."

"Are you sure that it's not some lingering sentimentality left from before you took the stone?"

"No," he said sharply, stopping one task to do another. Some strange words came from him, while the creature stayed by Adrian's side. The boy tried to look again, but couldn't stir himself enough. "You are going to assist me with this, right Death?"

"As you wish," the skeleton creature said. This was Death itself? "But why not turn him right away?"

"It should be obvious," his father said, picking something up and bringing it over to the chair Adrian was in. There was a shuffle of another chair being moved closer.

"Humor me with an answer, then," Death replied.

"He's still a child. If I go ahead with the full power, he'll be a child from now on. I want to allow him to become a man, but he needs a few more years. This should allow for that maturity."

"Very well. That is suitable." Death then put his fingers under Adrian's chin and lifted his head. "Stir yourself now."

Feeling himself awaken, Adrian knew he didn't want to look at Death again, so he looked to his father. Vlad, or Matthias, or Dracula, whatever his real name was, was sitting in a chair right next to his. There was something odd to him. He looked partly normal, with thick peppered black hair and a kind-looking smile. But on another look, he couldn't be human, with streaked faintly glowing red eyes and pallid too-smooth skin. When he placed his hand on the boy's, his skin felt so cold. His other hand held onto a black stone goblet.

He brought the goblet to Adrian's hand. "Drink this; it will help you recover from your injury."

He wasn't sure what to do. He knew that his mother's potions could heal, but this? It had a smell like an herbal infusion, with a bit of wood and… something that he couldn't quite identify. What was it? And if… there was some protest to trusting them, but his mind was in a haze. When his father guided his hand, he didn't resist and drank the potion. It was warm and smooth, but still something unidentifiable.

As he finished it, he felt relaxed yet tingly. Something was changing; something had been stirred and he wasn't sure what. His head was indeed feeling better. It was… it was like some kind of power inside him, awakening.

And burning. Something felt much too hot, like holding his hands too close to a fire, or over a steaming pot. Adrian's chest clenched up and he was forced to gasp for breath. Whatever power it was began lashing out at something, causing strange ripples inside his body. He felt like he wanted to scream, but his throat was much too tight.

"What's happening?" his father asked, concerned and alarmed at the reaction.

Death clenched the cord on Adrian's neck. "I believe this is the problem." He pulled the cross necklace over his head and tossed it aside. There was a clatter as it hit a stone wall. "He should be fine with more rest, provided that stays off him."

"Right."

And they were right; his body was cooling off and calming down. But why had his cross reacted that way?


	7. The Prince's Room

**The Prince's Room**

When Adrian came back to alertness, something had changed. He pushed aside the heavy blanket on him to sit up and look around. Immediately, he knew that this place was no peasant's home. He was on an actual bed, for one thing. A stone fireplace was nearby, with a low but warm fire in it. Across from it, there were two chairs, a hefty worktable with odd equipment on it, and a stool. And all around the room, there were books and scrolls, even a fine map. Who around Romania had enough wealth for that many books? Even the church didn't have this many.

But it wasn't his fine surroundings. There was something else that he was sensing. Getting up, Adrian looked at the table. There was a diagram in charcoal there, like something an alchemist might have made. And the items on it, from the remains in the pestle to the small dishes of… ink? Those items all seemed to have power to them. Could it be magic? He had heard of magic and alchemy, of course, but as things that people had to be careful in dabbling in.

He looked over at the fireplace and saw that the fire wasn't quite right. It had wood, but wasn't consuming it like he'd seen fire do before. As he looked into the small flames, he could see some creature in the fire. It looked like a tiny but fat (and naked) boy with red horns, orange skin, tiny hooves, and flaming bat wings. It was asleep, clutching a trident that could have been used as a toothpick.

Unexpectedly, the door opened. An old man came into the room. He wore a long flowing green robe with a bejeweled belt and a money bag. With long curling locks of silver hair that went down to his waist, this clearly wasn't his father. The fellow smiled on seeing him. "Oh, good to see that you've revived, young prince. The Master told me to keep an eye on you."

"Huh?" he said, puzzled at all this. "I'm not a prince."

He laughed, but in a kind and warm way. "You are, even with the challenge going on." His expression turned irritated. "I seriously doubt that ignorant Olrox will manage to best Lord Dracula and take his place. Pray tell, what is your mortal name?"

This conversation was strange, but he didn't think there was any harm in talking to this man. "Adrian Fahrenheit. Who are you?"

"It's... it's been so long that I've forgotten," the old man said. "Just call me the Librarian. I've heard that you're to be called Master Alucard. You should stay here for the time being; the castle is dangerous to those who don't know its ways. But I could teach you some magic while we wait on…" the Librarian got distracted in looking at a pile of books. "Oh bother, they've been writing again. Shoo, go on! Quit using each other to publish new books without notifying me first." He waved his hands at the books.

Strangely, two of the books flew off, using their covers as wings. One hissed while the other flew off into a hole in the ceiling. The other books in the pile began to stir, but didn't take off. Watching this, Adrian wondered what kind of place this was when even the books were alive.

"It's going to take some time to reshelf and reorganize with these new ones," the Librarian muttered, sending a gust of wind at the hissing book.

And he saw that gust of wind. Was the change that he could now see magic? It made some sense, although Adrian had a feeling that it wasn't the whole truth.

Looking back at the Librarian, Adrian noticed that he was having some trouble controlling the hissing book. He went over and tried to grab it. However, it slipped away, a loose leaf of paper falling out and vanishing. It then snapped at his fingers as if it could take off his whole hand.

"Careful, they have a nasty bite," the Librarian said. He managed to grab this disobedient book and threw it into the fire. The little winged creature (a fire imp?) was startled awake, but then grinned wickedly before grabbing the troublesome book and consuming it with fire.

"Is it all right to burn the book?" Adrian asked.

"If they're being too troublesome. Now then, where were we..." the Librarian looked back to him, thinking. Then his eyes brightened (both in an idea and a faint glow). "Oh right, I was going to start teaching you magic. It takes some people years, but you're young enough to pick things up readily. It's going to be a little while before your father can come here to speak with you again. Now, much of magic is best learned in doing it, but there is some information you need to start with." He sat down in one of the chairs and began explaining, occasionally using magic to illustrate a point.

Adrian listened, eventually sitting in the other chair instead of standing there. Magic was a force granted by the various natural and supernatural powers of the world. Although rarely seen, it was believed that everyone was capable of some degree of magic. However, the clergy tended to keep such things a secret, using the powers themselves while denouncing any other users as heretics and devil worshippers. But then even his mother's power with herbal potions had a touch of magic to it.

"Of course, it helps that you're not human," the Librarian said at one point.

Hearing that from a stranger was startling. "I'm not? But I'm half human."

He chuckled. "Well that doesn't make you a full human, does it? There has been a word around about a creature like you, a dhimpir. However, nobody ever expected to see a true dhimpir around. Creatures of the dead can only make other creatures that are dead. Mostly dead at best. To have a true living and growing descendant, that proves to power of the true Master of Castlevania."

"It seems so," he replied, cautious around this loyal servant. Adrian still wasn't sure what to do about this.

"About your magic… we ought to figure out what element you control naturally. Whatever spell you cast first will show your natural state. Here, bring your hand up and point it to something; not me, though, don't target me. Try to call upon the power of magic as I have described it"

The power of magic, something that would come from his natural state. Adrian pointed to the stool and considered how to draw upon the power. Sensing something build near his hand, he thought to cast a spell on the stool. And just like that, a small ball of fire jumped off of his fingertips and struck his target. It was knocked to the ground in a clatter, smoking slightly.

"My word, how magnificent," the Librarian said, delighted. "You did that so easily, you must be a natural with magic. And your magic prefers fire. I suppose that shouldn't be surprising, as your father uses fire well. Now, let's keep at it."

The lesson continued for quite some time, but Adrian didn't mind. He was keen to figure out this power, especially with how dangerous this place was said to be. Over in the fire place, the fire imp had stirred up the fire, then watched them. The other book flew back in, but settled itself on a shelf. The creatures were strange, but they didn't seem intent on attacking.

And then his father entered the room. The Librarian was quick to get on his feet. "Oh, Lord Dra… Lord Tepes, here you are. Sir, I've just been instructing him on magic. He's well again, and doing quite nicely as a starter…"

"Fine," Vlad said, cutting him off. "Leave us here."

The old man nodded. "As you wish, my lord." He waved to the pile of new books, gathering them by magic to sort elsewhere. The other book sneakily flew after the Librarian to observe, getting out just before the door shut.

Adrian got to his feet, but he wasn't sure what to do. He knew other boys his age or younger that might greet their father happily and hug them. But, he had yet to meet his own properly. His mother hadn't spoken of him much, and what she did have to say was with regret. And to know that he was a vampire, something feared across the lands, what was he supposed to do? He felt a growing admiration of him, as Vlad obviously had wealth and power. But he felt conflicted, as that admiration might not be right. After all, he was a vampire, a creature of darkness.

"I hadn't expected to see you so soon," Vlad said, coming over and smiling. "The countryside around here can be dangerous to those who are unprepared."

"I came by a portal," he said, watching with some wariness as his father put his hand under his chin to look at his face better. "It was left by that… Death. Is my mother here? I came looking for her."

"Ah. Yes, she's here. She's safe, so don't worry. I made sure both of you would be safe. Please, sit back down. I don't mind being informal with you while we're alone." Seeming to approve of whatever he saw in Adrian's eyes, he sat down in the chair that the Librarian had been in.

Although he sat back down, he still wasn't entirely comfortable. "May I go see her?"

"In a while," Vlad said. "How did you manage to get across the bridges, then? The creatures there would not have been intelligent enough to notice who you were."

"I got a ride from a horse skeleton creature after I defeated its rider."

"Another skeleton?"

He nodded. "Yes, one with hard bones. I burned its scarf."

"Good thinking. I intended to come back for you, but I had many things to discuss with your mother. Still, I didn't want to stir up controversy by showing up at Lisa's house."

Adrian felt angered at that. "So you had her taken in the middle of the night? People are going to notice that we're gone."

He didn't seem bothered, though. "They have, but they believe that the two of you have gone out on an unexpected trip to visit someone important. It is the truth, if not the specifics."

"Still doesn't seem right," he said, as he wasn't sure of an argument against that.

"You don't fully understand everything that's going on," his father replied, nodding once. "I don't blame you for being angry, but I mean to give the best to the both of you. Like that potion I gave you; it was made from my own blood."

This alarmed him. "What? But Mother said I wasn't supposed to taste blood or…" or the curse in his blood, of being his father's child, would overtake him.

"It's nothing to be concerned about," Vlad said. "You were a mortal boy with strange potential before. I have made you immortal now, and made certain that your fullest potential could be realized."

Immortal? Adrian knew about death all too well, having helped his mother with victims of illness, violence, and even starvation. But he'd never considered his own death seriously. It was strange to know that something as natural as death could be avoided, even stranger that it would be him to do so.

Vlad put his hand on top of Adrian's. "I've lived for a long time now, and I'm convinced that God is either a lie or a cruel creator who has been ignoring the world. Do you know how much suffering goes on in the world? It's the same everywhere. People pray and hope for miracles, but the ones in power only use the idea of God to control the masses. And once they get into power, then most people prove that they are corrupted as well.

"Realizing this, I sought to separate myself from the rest of mankind to bring about true power and justice. I will make a better world, but first I must establish myself as the master of this place. Castlevania holds many secrets and stores immense power, and thus there are many who would like to claim it for their own. I've held it for some time, but now I have another vampire lord who is trying to take over, Olrox the Cold-Blooded. But I do not think he is a serious threat. I'm simply amusing his challenge for the time being."

It was one of those things that sometimes entered his mind, but he would never speak to another. The priests always said that one had to have faith in God, and that lack of faith led to ruin. But when asked why bad things still happened to good people, the priests never had a satisfying answer. It being a test of God seemed like a cruel thing to inflict on someone who was basically good. If his father was going to make things better and fairer, then that might be a good thing. But the priests also said that faith rewarded the patient.

Still, there was that unaddressed problem. "Why did you take my mother?"

Vlad smiled at that. "A focused mind is a good one. We had a disagreement on this years ago, so I agreed to leave her alone initially. But once I deal with Olrox, I'm going to start a large campaign against the corrupted Church. I was concerned about you both because times of conflict bring out the worst in people. My plan was to bring you both here to be safe. But, it's important for me to keep Death as an ally, and I knew that he would have concerns about you. We've talked about it and I think there won't be an issue now. Just try not to antagonize him."

Having looked into his, for lack of a better word, face, he agreed that antagonizing Death would be a foolish thing. Adrian nodded. "All right."


	8. Switch 2: Grand Library

**Switch 2: The Grand Library**

"You should stay here and study with the Librarian for now," Vlad said, getting up. "This area of the castle is firmly under my control. I won't always have time to come by, but this contest shouldn't last much longer. I'll speak more with you and your mother once it's over. Take care of yourself, my boy." Then he left.

Stay here. Was that what he should do? Adrian looked around the room again and spotted an item of rather potent magic. It was his wooden cross necklace, lying against a bare portion of the stone wall. Unlike before, it seemed to have a barely visible white glow.


	9. Music Room

_Refer to Swtich 2: Adrian sees that his cross necklace now has a white glow._

__**Music Room**

"_I am proving the apathy of God. His power is not absolute and He doesn't care when we break the rules. He doesn't care if we follow the rules either. My son proves my power."_

Adrian thought on those words as he looked at the glowing cross. God was… apathetic? It seemed heretical. And yet, there was that disease that was ruining so many crops this year. It would lead to terrible suffering and hunger in the winter; why didn't God do anything about things like that? And why were the powers of darkness so strong if He was supposed to be all-powerful? Maybe God didn't really care. It was an unsettling thought.

And somehow, he was proof of that apathy… and his father's power. He decided to ignore the cross.

Accepting his father's name for him, Alucard spent several days in the library, learning magic with the Librarian and practicing his sword skills against the various monsters in the library. The Librarian said most of them came back anyhow, and they weren't strong enough to be a real threat. Alucard considered tying to find his mother himself several times, but decided against it. On seeing a map of the castle, he was reminded of just how big Castlevania was. His father visited at least once a day, though, and the boy grew to admire him more with every conversation they had.

One time his father came to visit him, Vlad unlocked a teleport room and brought him to where Lisa was. "This is the Royal Suite," he said, opening the large gray door. "It's the safest place for a human to stay, but the way leading up here, Medusa's Tower, is dangerous to a novice like yourself."

The Royal Suite was an amazing place. Walking through the red and gold carpeted halls, Alucard kept seeing things that he wanted to take better looks at: golden chandeliers, beautiful statues, lavish furniture, brilliant paintings, and large mirrors. It was everything he thought a grand palace would be and this was just one place in Castlevania. While there were some strange creatures here, they seemed to be servants who were completely obedient to his father's word. Alucard felt relieved, for his mother would be safe and comfortable here.

While the place seemed large, Vlad seemed to know right where to go, leading him up a staircase and through another hall. There were sounds of a stringed instrument in the air, leading them to a sitting room. Lisa was there, sitting on a couch in a lovely blue dress; she didn't seem happy. Over on another couch, a strange woman in a red dress and black wings was playing a lyre. She looked over to them and smiled, but Vlad gave her a dismissive gesture which got her to stop playing and leave the room.

"Mom!" Alucard said, running over to hug her.

"Adrian!" She smiled in relief and held him tightly for a moment. But then something happened. When he let her go to sit beside her, she seemed worried, maybe even upset. "It's… good to see you safe," she said, trying to disguise it.

"Are you all right?" he asked, unsettled by her worry. "Is something wrong?"

"Both of you are safe," Vlad said, smiling at them. "You could have been here at any time if you'd asked."

Lisa took Alucard's hand, but looked at Vlad. "I told you, I didn't want to be involved with the dark powers any longer. And did you tell him anything about what you've done?" The two of them stared at each other. Vlad looked irritated but trying not to lash out; Lisa had a stern but not cold look. "You need to consider what's best for those you love, not just what would work out best for you in the end."

"I am looking out for you both; you just don't seem to understand how things really work." He turned to leave the room. "You two may visit for some time, but he's staying in the Library so he can be educated. I'll need to take him back so he gets to the right place." Then he was gone. Not walking out the door like a normal person; Vlad was there, and then he wasn't.

She sighed, but then squeezed Alucard's hand and smiled at him. "I'm sorry about all this. I'm afraid that your father and I are both people of strong opinions. How did you get here?"

As Alucard started telling her that, the tension between his parents slipped his mind. He told her about how he'd seen Death take her through the portal and what he'd taken to follow after them. He told her about the skeletons, the zombies, the burning man, the fortune teller… and also about the Librarian and his father. While the initial night had been frightening, Alucard realized that he might never have learned about magic if this had never happened. And he could have grown up here, in a castle where he was treated as a prince, instead of out in the edges of a village, working in farms so that he and his mother had things to eat and resources to get whatever else they needed.

"Did you ever learn about magic, Mother?" he asked at the end of his story.

"I did, and I still use it with our little garden," Lisa said, wary for some reason. "But you must be careful with that kind of thing, Adrian. Magic seems to be helpful and easy to control, but it will completely overtake your mind and soul if you rely on it too much."

"I'll be fine," he said, feeling that at thirteen years, he was old enough to be making his own decisions. Besides, he liked magic; it had so many possibilities and he'd barely begun to tap into that. "And Father is going to do great things. He told me that he was going to bring us both here to stay out of a more aggressive war. We'll be all right, I'm sure of it."

"I'm not sure," she said. "I still want him to be a better man, but I would more easily believe that he is the one who will be starting the aggression. Vlad has always been stubborn and I don't know if he'll see the right way until it's too late."

Vlad had said that he would be starting a campaign against the Church. But he had his reasons: they were taking advantage of people and not allowing them to know the truth of things. Alucard had learned more from his time here in Castlevania than in any time he had been in a church. "I think he has good ideas. He wants to make things better."

"I'm sure many people would like to make things better," Lisa said after a moment's thought. "Think your options out carefully, and know that the consequences may not be immediately noticed. I don't want to see you fall into the same mistakes that we have made. Don't forsake God's will."

"Do people really know God's will?" he asked. After listening to his father and the Librarian speak against the Church's teachings, he was picking up some skepticism.

"Well no one really knows what His will is, or what His plans are…"

"Then how can we know what's wrong and what isn't?"

"It's..." Lisa stopped, apparently recognizing something in his questions. "Your heart will know when something is wrong," she answered.

They talked for some time longer, but there were several more times when Lisa didn't seem quite so sure of the answers. That was odd; as a child, Alucard had thought his mother knew everything. But she was human like anybody else… well, like most people. Not like him. As he thought of that, his mind drifted and he came to notice that he could smell her blood. It wasn't that time of the month, though. He did notice how her aura pulsed to the rhythm of her heartbeat.

Before that thought could progress much, there was a knock at the open door. Vlad was by them as the sound ended. "Sorry, but he needs to return."

"You could give us more warning," Lisa said.

Vlad took hold of Alucard's upper arm. "I am."

After saying a quick goodbye (Vlad wouldn't let them hug again for some reason), Alucard followed his father back out to the teleport room of the Royal Suite. "Why did I have to leave so quickly?" he asked.

"It's hard to see in your own aura, but you noticed her blood," he explained. "I pulled you out of there before that overtook you. It's better that way."

Alucard then recalled how he had been tempted to attack someone at the sight of blood, and that had been before his magic sense had been awakened. At this time, he might not have been able to avoid attacking his own mother. Feeling ashamed, he looked down at the floor to hide his blushing.

Vlad patted his shoulder. "You'll gain control of your powers in time, but for now, I need to supervise any contact you have with Lisa. We'll let you calm down for a little bit, but then I want to ask a favor of you."


	10. Switch 3: Icy Aqueduct

**Switch 3: The Icy Aqueduct**

In the damp caverns underneath Castlevania, there was a cold and fast river. It fed into the moat and the waterfall, as well as acted as a water source for the entire castle. Although many creatures inside didn't need water anymore, it was still important in magic and running a few devices. And what creatures did need water usually needed a lot. The Icy Aqueduct was thus a contested area between Vlad and Olrox. Alucard had been sent in to deal with one of the monsters working for the latter.

Keeping his shield close, he made his way towards the waterfall. Every step had to be carefully made, for a slick or loose spot could cause him to fall into the frigid waters. But he had to watch all around himself too, for enemies that lurked in the shadows or monsters that jumped out of the lake. He had left his lantern behind, as the sword was more important for the upcoming battle. Also, he was getting better at seeing in dark places like this.

Alucard paused for a moment, looking at a downward passage. The few steps down were too large to step down, although he should be able to jump back up them. Taking some time, he dropped down to the next level. The roar of the waterfall greeted him, along with water vapors that swirled around his feet. To his left was the river, right next to the pathway now. To his right was a large stone door, marked with the symbol of a lizard. That would be Olrox's seal, and where he had stationed his monster.

His father could destroy this beast with a single move. But he wanted Alucard to have a chance to prove himself. While he had given him a plan to start with and got him to the entrance of the Icy Aqueduct, it was up to Alucard to handle the rest. He had gotten here, at least. 'I can do this,' he thought to himself, then pushed on the door to enter the boss room.

On entering the room, the first thing that he noticed was the smell of blood and sweat. Dark magic stirred in his body, but he soon determined that it was an old smell. Still in control of himself, Alucard shut the door and looked around.

The room itself was square shaped; the dark rock of the floor had been smoothed and polished to a shine, but the walls and ceiling were still rough. A large silver chandelier with blue flames hung overhead, while a pile of human bones was sitting in the far left corner. Across from the entrance, there was a large wooden bench with iron chains attached, enough for four prisoners. A large blood-stained axe rested in one end of the bench. At the other end, a giant black-scaled merman was taking bones out of one set of chains and throwing them into the pile.

A metallic rattle right next to him startled Alucard; he looked that way and saw grimy bony fingers wrapped around metal bars. A pale and fearful boy was there, along with three other human prisoners. All dressed in thin rags, it seemed like they had been here for years. "Are you here to save us?" the boy asked.

On hearing that, the black merman stopped clearing the bench and turned to the entrance. It saw Alucard and hissed hatefully. Grabbing the giant axe, it rushed in for the attack.


	11. Ending of the Servant

****_Refer to Switch 3: Alucard is tasked with defeating a black merman. _

**Ending of the Servant**

Not having time to counterattack, Alucard dashed out of the entrance of the room, getting out of the black merman's path. It swung its axe hard enough to get it stuck into the rock floor, spraying bright sparks far and wide. The boy prisoner jumped back with the rest, screaming.

He couldn't get distracted. Alucard focused on his magic. According to the books in the Library, this particular merman had hard scales that would lessen magic attacks. Even though his fire spells would cause great pain to some monsters, it would only be a tickle to this one. He could infuse his sword with fire, though. As the magic became active, an orange glow surrounded the gray blade. And before the black merman could get his axe free, Alucard stabbed it in the side.

The merman yelped, letting go of its weapon and jumping back. Alucard managed to yank his sword back out before he lost it. Now unarmed, the merman began sending spiked balls of ice at him. He dodged around as best he could, catching what ones he couldn't avoid with his shield. Once close enough, he stabbed the merman again, this time using his sword to conduct a fire spell straight into its body.

Immediately, the smell of fried flesh filled the air. The black merman screamed, but had taken too much damage. It collapsed onto the ground and was soon little more than a pile of fishy bones and black scales. Had it been a magical construct like the zombies?

A glint of metal appeared in the scales, something the black merman had been wearing. Alucard pulled it out with the tip of his sword, finding a large key on a black cord. From the size of the cord's loop, it had been around the merman's arm. Most likely, it opened the prisoner cell. He hadn't been told to let them go, though. He had just been told to defeat the black merman.

There was a flash of green light as his father teleported into the room. Dracula nodded to him. "Well done. It was a simple foe, but you have a lot of potential."

"It looked tougher than it was, but the spell worked like you said," Alucard said. He was rather impressed: his father knew alchemy, magic, and strategy. With that and the power he had from the castle, Dracula could change the world and make things better. Then Alucard handed the key over and quietly asked, "What do we do with his prisoners?"

After a glance, he took the key. "They're ours now. There is something you could do." Dracula went over and unlocked the prison door. The prisoners weren't sure what to do. Were they being released, or was this man as bad as the one that had captured them? They got their answer when Dracula grabbed the boy and knocked him into the prison bars, making him bleed.

With the dark power of Dracula's potion in his body, Alucard quickly succumbed to the smell of fresh blood.

* * *

Being a newly turned vampire, Alucard couldn't teleport yet. But his father kept that in mind and walked with him to the Chamber of Chaos, helping him with obstacles that were out of his power for now. "With Castlevania fully in my control again, this is an ideal place for your training," he said. "By the time you're fully grown, you will be one of the best."

He nodded, walking on the red carpet. At the edges of this dark hall, there were scattered bones and bloodstains. It bothered him some, but he was getting used to it. The hardest part was thinking of himself as not human any more. When he could manage that, the human remains were there as signs of the vampire's superiority.

And there was one other problem. "What about Mother?" he asked. "She still believes in the illusions of the church."

"We'll both have to keep working to convince her otherwise," Dracula said. "At least you've given up on that foolishness." Their conversation was suspended as they came to the skull door at the end of the hall. A black robed figure was hovering there. "Death, is everything ready?"

"Yes, Lord Dracula," Death said. "We are only waiting on your arrival. And the boy here?"

"I'm here in the service of my father," Alucard said promptly.

"Are you now?" Death put his hand on Alucard's head; the boy did his best not to react when his gaze crossed the empty eye sockets of this creature. Fortunately, he nodded in approval. "That will do. Your arrival here could be fortunate for us. Come on in." He then warped into the room while Dracula and Alucard went through the door.

Inside, Olrox had been tied down to a stone table by chains and magic. He was a tall and thin man, wearing lavender and silver armor. His body looked especially frail now, after he'd been kept in a cell without blood and tortured. In his studies, Alucard was learning that such things were necessary. This man had defied Dracula once, and so couldn't be trusted ever again.

"This is the only outcome that you should have expected, Olrox," Dracula said. "I only humored you for the exercise."

Despite his position, he scowled. "You aren't going to be in power forever. If I can't bring you down, one of my associates will."

"Unless they're all dead already," Dracula said calmly. "Are you ready to become one of the captive souls of Castlevania?"

That made him smirk. "So you acknowledge my power."

"I am not going to take your soul. I am giving it to my son."

Alucard stood there quietly, but Olrox stared, then went into a rage. His skin nearly turned green and scaly, but the magic chains lashed out against the transformation. "What?! You're giving my soul to some newblood? This is an insult!"

"You've already lost," Drcaula said. "It is an appropriate one. Alucard?"

He stepped forward; although Olrox was fighting the chains, he trusted his father's work. "Yes?"

"Follow my instructions and don't mind if he fusses."

Nodding, he proceeded to do exactly as told.

* * *

It was many years since Alucard had acquired Olrox's soul. He was making good use of it too: it had a few lizards he could turn into, his favorite being the small one that could speedily walk over the walls and ceilings. Being in that form, he could get around this cave quickly and observe the group trying to get into Castlevania.

There were three of them. One was a witch, but not the sort that could be converted into their followers. If he recalled right, she had been turned to stone by another of his father's servants some time ago. Another seemed to be a bandit who was as comfortable on the ceiling as he was as a lizard. Again, he bore too much light in his soul to be of much use to them. And the third…

The third had a soul of light that was more potent than any Alucard had encountered. At least since he'd been able to sense the balance of light and dark in people's hearts. The scent of his blood was different too, bearing some kind of succession blessing. Was that the kind of person who was said to be born with a destiny before them?

And there was that whip at the man's side. On the surface, it seemed like a simple weapon, but it held an intense light as well. It even seemed aware; at least, aware of him. The man put his hand on the whip, seeming to grow cautious. "Something's here," he said.

"One of Dracula's creations?" the witch asked.

"No," he said. Then he looked up at the ceiling, where Alucard was. "Another vampire."

If he could tell that, and with that strange blood… it had to be one of the Belmonts. With the Vampire Killer whip. Still, he had his orders. Given he'd already lost his advantage of surprise, Alucard transformed to his regular body and went right into attack.


	12. Ending of the Sly

_Refer to Switch 3: Alucard is tasked with defeating a black merman._

**Ending of the Sly**

Alucard got out of the way of the black merman's attack, watching as it slammed its axe into the floor hard enough to get it stuck in the ground. Not too bright, but it was quite strong. According to his father, he could infuse his blade with fire power and defeat it easily. Then again… he looked up at the chandelier. Perhaps he could capture it instead? There might be a way to turn its loyalty from Olrox to Dracula.

As he made up his plan, the black merman got its axe free. It turned and came to attack him in the exact same manner. Alucard stood under the chandelier as long as he safely could, then rushed aside when the axe fell. It was a little scary, but he made it work. Then he rushed over to a rope on the wall and sliced it free with his sword. The rope went up to a pulley, from which the chandelier hung. With that support gone, the chandelier fell right on top of the black merman, trapping it.

Unexpectedly, the blue flames flared up, consuming the merman entirely. It screamed, fighting to free its axe and itself now. But in less than a minute, the merman's body was entirely burned to ashes. A metal key dropped onto the floor, clattering and skipping out of the chandelier to Alucard's feet. He hadn't captured it, but he had completed his mission.

He picked up the key and wondered what to do about the prisoners. He hadn't been told they would be there. Then again, maybe his father could get them back home. Alucard went over to the cell and unlocked the door. "Let's get going," he said to them, smiling.

The four prisoners got up, the boy coming up to him first. "Thanks," he said, smiling back. "You're amazing, defeating a monster like that."

"And so young too," a man said. "Can we really leave?"

"We'd better not stay, at least," Alucard said, opening up the door to the rest of the Icy Aqueduct for them.

It was much harder going back with the four prisoners, especially the stairs right outside the merman's room. Alucard got up and found some ice blocks to push down, letting them get up to the upper waterfall level. Once there, he made sure to keep any of Olrox's monsters from attacking the group. His father's monsters just watched, curious.

At the area entrance, Dracula was waiting on them. He smiled at his son. "Well that isn't the plan I gave you, but it worked out just as well. Good job."

"Thank you, I did my best," Alucard said. He looked back at the four prisoners, who seemed uncertain now. "I wasn't sure what to do with them."

"Aren't you going to set us free?" the boy prisoner asked.

Dracula was quiet for a moment, then smiled in a way that showed his fangs. "Yes, we can set you free. Be free of your mortal coils!" Then he killed the boy in one punch.

Alucard briefly thought that was a thoughtless and cruel thing to do, but then the scent of blood overwhelmed his reason.

* * *

Alucard sat on a bench in the throne room. It was like a grand stage, he thought, with a large dark stone throne surrounded by red curtains and torches made with the skulls of past enemies. In front of the throne, Death was kneeling (seemingly) on the floor, his scythe crossed over his lap. In front of Death, both Vlad and Olrox brought forward their arguments for being the master of Castlevania. Olrox had claimed this was more civilized then simply battling for the right, and Vlad agreed to humor him.

And Alucard paid close attention to the debate.

"He didn't even defeat all of my challenges," Olrox said, pointing to Vlad. "The boy over there did some instead."

Vlad nodded. "Yes, your challenges were defeated by a newly turned vampire. He may be my son, but that must still be embarrassing that I did not feel them to be challenging enough."

Thus far, Death hadn't said much since the beginning of this debate. But at that point, he vanished and appeared on the bench by Alucard. "How were those challenges?" he asked, then added, "Look at me."

Alucard did so, showing that he wasn't going to be afraid now. "They weren't too hard to figure out," he replied. "I used what he had put in the room to win more often than not."

"And that is a major fault of your designs," Vlad said.

While Olrox started arguing again, Death leaned closer to Alucard. "There is cleverness in your eyes," he said quietly. "A bit too much."

The boy smiled a little. "I am here in service of my father," he replied quietly. Yet he was already thinking that there may be ways to take advantage of this situation now that he was here.

His mother might not approve, but he was starting to feel that the way he had lived life was that of a child, which he should leave behind.

* * *

Over the centuries, his father's mind had degraded. It was probably all the times that he had been slain, then brought back to life. He kept insisting that he was capable of battle, powerful enough to take down any foe. But then a Belmont would show up and cut him down again. Lately, it hadn't even been a blood descendant, but another who had earned the Vampire Killer and set out to slay Dracula.

Alucard remained sharp, though. If he had to fight them, he was careful about doing so. That whip and the blessings that accompanied it were not to be underestimated. So far, he had only had to be resurrected once. And he had planned out that incident fully.

Dracula pounded his fist on the arm of his throne. "We have to track down that last Belmont," he said. "The bloodline is nearly wiped out; I won't have to worry about Leon's vengeance anymore."

Bowing, Alucard replied. "We are working quickly to do so." In reality, he was arranging for his father's final death. It was almost time when he could claim Castlevania fully. But in order to do so, he needed to do something about Death as well.

The black robed figure was looking particularly gaunt today. "It doesn't matter what they try; I will defy them to the last of my power." His powers had been weakening the past century. Alucard had arranged for that, but in a special way. Death was a part of Castlevania, but if he got too weak, he could be recreated without his previous memory.

And by then, Alucard would be in control of Castlevania.

At the end of the meeting, Death followed Alucard out of the room. "I have always thought that you were just a little too clever," he said. "What are you planning on doing?"

"I will end the threat of the Belmonts," he said. "Do you take me for being disloyal?"

Death narrowed the glows of his eyes. "No, but I wonder to whom you are loyal to sometimes."


	13. Ending of the Master

_Refer to Switch 3: Alucard is tasked with defeating a black merman._

**Ending of the Master**

Not having time to counterattack, Alucard dashed out of the entrance of the room, getting out of the black merman's path. It swung its axe hard enough to get it stuck into the rock floor, spraying bright sparks far and wide. The boy prisoner jumped back with the rest, screaming.

He was supposed to be able to imbue his sword with his fire magic and take care of the beast in that manner. But Alucard wanted to know for himself. While the merman still struggled to get the axe out of the floor, he thrust his sword into the beast without enchantment. It didn't even cause the merman to yelp, although the weapon was coated in blood when he pulled it out.

Blood. It smelled strong, making him think of icy waterways and a mass of mermen all ready to attack those who entered their domain unrecognized. Alucard felt his heart race. According to the books in the library, blood was power and a vampire could take the power of another by drinking their blood. Before he could think second thoughts, Alucard wiped some of the blood off the sword with his fingers and tasted it.

But that wasn't enough to even satisfy his curiosity. He went to attack the merman in the strongest way he could, directing a fire ball into the wound he had already made. But that fried the merman outright, making its blood useless.

Alucard could smell the blood of the prisoners better now. They were still there. Overtaken by the dark magic, he slaughtered them all for their blood.

* * *

Once he broke past the restraints that had been put on him through years of listening to the church priests, Alucard found the methods of his father to be good ones. There was no reason to deny power to those who had it, and there was no reason to follow the words of a God that didn't act directly in the world. Then again, there were some things that his father was getting wrong. It took a few years of learning and watching him, but Alucard could see it.

Like his issue with the Belmont clan of vampire hunters. It went back to a personal grudge against the clan's first hunter, Leon. But Dracula would set up complex plans to battle the Belmonts, giving them enough time to continue their line and train up new hunters. Alucard would rather eliminate them directly. But his father was certain that his latest plan would succeed in ending them.

"Do you have a problem with the plan?" Death asked him.

Alucard looked over at him. They were standing by a fireplace in the Library, the fire low and steady. With Death there, the monsters of the area were keeping away. Dracula wasn't in the room right then. Still, he had to consider if he should say what was on his mind.

"I don't think it's wise to wait here in the castle for the hunter to come here," he said. "They've shown that they can get through here and not only survive, but excel in it. Most humans can't, so we should go out and attack them. At least send more and better monsters out there so they're worn before they arrive."

"That is a possibility." Death put his hand to his chin. "You have shown good progress in your studies. I wasn't sure about having you here, but I respect your talent now. You ought to stop training with the Librarian and start training with me."

That was surprising. Death wasn't one to joke around, but Alucard hadn't thought he would work with anyone but Dracula. "You want to train me?"

A bony hand clasped his shoulder. "I believe it would be worthwhile."

* * *

There was a battle going on in the throne room. Dracula had insisted on it, possibly for the drama. But while that was going on, Alucard slipped into a hallway just behind it, leading to a sealed room. This was the best moment, as his father was fully preoccupied.

In front of the door, the image of Death appeared. He had been defeated and it would take some time for him to regenerate a new body. "Ah, so you have come," he said, his voice more like an echo of his words.

He nodded. "Of course. Is the tomb set up?"

"As normal, just in case." There was an angered roar in the other room, like that of a demon, not a man. "But I believe that possibility will come true, as you suspected."

And now, it was time to see just how loyal Death was… and to who he was loyal to. "May I pass?"

The red glow of his eyes flared up briefly. Then he grinned. "I am a spirit now, incorporeal to the plane you stand on. Who am I to stop you? If you think that you are worthy, then please, give it a try." His image then vanished, taking the door's seal with him.

Not letting himself get too confident, Alucard entered the room hidden back here. It had the feel of an altar to a dark god, with the stand for the sacrifice, symbols of chaos emblazoned on all walls, and dark heavy curtains keeping all light from this place. In the center of the room, there was a large black coffin. Dracula even had the arrogance to put a painted gold cross on it.

Alucard shifted the top off the coffin. There inside lay one of his father's secrets: an armored coat which his remains were to be placed into. While it looked like part of his normal attire, there was something different about the coat. It was only used when Dracula was in a state of death. On the collar piece of the coat, there were two large gems, one red and one black. The Crimson Stone and the Ebony Stone, two artifacts of alchemy that had been failed attempts at a Philosopher's Stone. One was nearly as old as Vlad, while the other was recently recreated. When a vampire owned and was recognized by both artifacts, he could be the most powerful force of darkness in the world. These two stones were one source of the power behind Dracula, the Master of Castlevania.

If Alucard was wrong, then the stones could destroy his mind, body, or both when he touched them. But if he was right, all of that power would belong to him. He reviewed what Death had told him, then reached in and took the Crimson Stone. Its power reached into his body, but no ill effects came right then. After replacing it with an identical looking but powerless red gem, Alucard did the same with the Ebony Stone. He slipped both into his cloak pockets, then closed the coffin back up and left the room. The seal returned when he reentered the hall.

Several hours later, Castlevania was quiet. It had retreated to the night, waiting for the opportunity to return to the world. Alucard went into the throne room, gathered up his father's remains, and placed them in the coffin.

Vlad's spirit appeared once he did so. "He got lucky," he said. "I don't know where he got that defensive power, but it blocked out much of my magic."

"He got it from within the castle," Alucard pointed out.

"It was still luck," he insisted. "The castle is under my control. Next time, though, I'll eliminate the Belmont vampire hunters!"

"About that," he said, glancing around. Death's spirit appeared then, looking interested. "I don't believe that you're capable of doing so." When his father gave him a look of shock, Alucard stood up straight and said, "Father, I challenge you for control over Castlevania."

"Do you?" he said darkly. Betrayal was something he took very seriously.

Alucard brought out the two stones from his cloak. "I do."

* * *

As the master of Castlevania, Alucard had ruled over the surrounding lands for a century now. He kept Castlevania in a highly inaccessible place, using its powers of chaos to suspend it off of a treacherous mountain, with only one path up to it that mortals could take. That path took the form of a long and winding walkway with several checkpoints. Very few people had managed to make their way up to the front gates. Of those that did, his security was told to capture anyone who was unauthorized and hold them securely until judgment could be passed.

He stood in the highest tower, furthest from the mountain, to overlook the lands he ruled. The cold thin air did not bother him, only filling out his cape occasionally. From here, he could use magic to spy on those mortals around him. There was war at the northern and southern borders; there was always someone attacking his 'unholy' kingdom on orders from the church. Alucard let them grind themselves down against unliving soldiers, then went in and conquered those places himself. Through this, he had gained considerable territory.

Death hovered near him. "The Vampire Killer has recognized a new hero, Nathan. He's on his way here with Morris and Hugh Baldwin."

"So it is still active," Alucard said. He had successfully wiped out the Belmonts before he had begun his conquering spree. It had been important to build up his powers and forces. And yet, the clan's signature weapon remained, passing from hand to hand. Its spirit sought hero after hero until one could attain the goal of fully destroying Dracula, the Master of Castlevania. Even though the current Dracula wasn't the one the Belmont clan had been fighting, that was still its purpose.

"What will you do?"

He rubbed his chin. "At least it's not in the master hunter's hands. Send some monsters after them to take the whip and kill its user, or at the very least, permanently injure him. And I'll make certain that the mountain and gate guards know that the three of them are not to go unopposed. What can you tell me of this Nathan?"

Death told him and they began to plan how to respond.


	14. Marble Hallway

_Refer to Switch 2: Adrian sees that his cross necklace now has a white glow._

**Marble Hallway**

Recalling how his mother had said that faith in God could help him do anything, even move mountains, Adrian went over quietly and picked up his wooden cross. Once he touched it, he could feel that strange heat that had tried to choke him before. What was the reason for that? It had never hurt him before. Perhaps it just reacted badly to this place. Adrian hastily stuffed it into his pants pocket, then went back to considering what to do.

So he was supposed to be called Alucard now. If his father picked out the name, he didn't want it. Adrian would find his own way.

Much of the next few days (at least as far as Adrian could guess) were taken up in magic and sword practice. The Grand Library had some monsters, weak ones that he could practice on safely. In that time, he learned that he could use the cross to summon a shield around himself. It blocked out all projectiles and seriously hurt any monsters that touched it. At first, calling up the cross shield hurt. But little by little, Adrian got used to it, to the point where he barely noticed.

Even with the practice and lessons, there were times when there wasn't much to do. His father sometimes came to visit, but got annoyed with being asked questions about where Lisa was. Eventually, he did say that she was in the Royal Suite and that he should forget about going there to see her. The Librarian kept leaving books for him, but Adrian soon discovered that they were sacrilegious documents, denying the reality and power of God. Due to that, he ignored them and searched around the Library, for more practice and any information that might help him.

Eventually he came across some maps of Castlevania tucked away on a bookshelf guarded by large black animated books that liked to attack with swords. After defeating them with his cross shield, he studied the maps. As it turned out, the Royal Suite wasn't too far from the Library. He could go out the upper northwest entrance to reach part of the Marble Hallway, and then get to Medusa's Tower to climb three stories and reach an entrance to the Royal Suite.

Some supplies would appear throughout the Library, so Adrian stocked up on them and prepared to leave. He waited until the Librarian got busy with a treasury inventory count, then headed out with one of the maps. Nothing stopped him from opening up the northwestern door and leaving the area. He had his lantern with him, because it kept weaker monsters away, as well as his shield. He didn't mean to fight anything, so he left the sword behind. If he got in trouble, he could use magic.

After a short gray stone hall, Adrian came out in the Marble Hallway. It was appropriately named, a grand hall twelve feet tall and ten feet wide that was made of polished marble blocks. Large suits of armor lined the hall, armed with tall pikes or axes. But they all stood still at the edges, not moving as he hurried past them. There was a strange creature that appeared to be a giant lizard with a woman's torso atop its tail, but it seemed to move aside and leave him be.

Then there was a set of double doors, which he passed through. In this room, he saw a large battle going on between dozens of monsters. There were creatures that seemed to be half human and half wild predator, like wolves, jaguars, panthers, and even a dog-like creature that was different from the wolves. These were fighting lizard men armed with shields and spears; one lizard warlock who was dressed in a black hooded cloak was casting ice spells everywhere. But this part of the hall had a few branching ways, so there was enough room for him to rush past the battle and head through the door he needed. This led into another small stone passage to get to Medusa's Tower.

His heart had been racing the whole time, though, frightened of what would happen should one pay attention to him. Would his cross shield spell be enough? His other gear might not be, at least in his hands.

As the tower seemed quiet, Adrian paused by the doorway to gather his courage again. He looked around, finding himself in a circular room. It wasn't that far to the other wall, but looking up, it went up for at least five stories. When he looked over the edge of the stairway, it went down about the same amount. The staircase wound around the wall, mostly. In his view, he could see large gaps between stairs.

The stairs up two stories seemed to be intact, so Adrian began climbing up. Sconces on the wall held candles, but the lantern he had brought from home lit up more than they did. Occasionally, he spotted strange shadows in the light, but he didn't manage to see what caused them until he had gone up a flight of stairs.

Then it appeared, flying in the center of the tower. At first, it looked like just a gray-blue mass, but then it turned and faced him. It was some kind of shrunken head without eyes, and hair that was so wild and clumped that it might have had snakes for hair. For a moment, Adrian was torn between disgust and fright. What would that thing do to him? But then it decided to ignore him and flew in wavy circles in the center of the tower, as if it were some kind of sentry.

It must have been one of his father's creatures, Adrian realized. Feeling grateful for that, he hurried up the stairs, seeing another two of the shrunken heads before he arrived at the right door. There was a screech from high above that momentarily stopped him, but then he decided to hurry on.

Past the empty stone hall, he came upon a magnificent room. It was brightly lit, almost cheerfully so. Beautiful paintings hung on the wall, while expensive furniture was all around him. It certainly looked like a royal suite, Adrian thought. Not seeing anyone in this room, he went ahead to the other door in the room.

Midway across the room, he felt a strange tingle. There was some magic active here, Adrian realized. When it passed, he turned around and looked, now seeing a faint pink barrier between here and the exit door. He put his hand through the barrier, finding no resistance. What was it here for?

At any rate, he couldn't know what it was just by looking. He went through the door and entered a hallway, decorated much like the room he had just come through. Here, he found a construct acting as a maid, cleaning up a beautiful vase. The maid noticed him and paused. "Oh, young master? What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for my mother," he said. "Lisa."

She pointed to a door across the hall. "She was in there last I saw. Nothing here should attack you."

Finally. "Thank you," Adrian said, then went into that door.

He entered a bedroom which was much more lavish than he'd ever seen. Back at home, he slept on a straw mat and thought nothing of it. Here, he had a small bed in a small room of the Library. But this room, it had a large bed with tall posts and thin silk curtains all around it. It had several cabinets around the room, as well as a vanity with a mirror in the corner. And in the vanity's chair, dressed in a yellow dress with pearls sewn into the collar, was Lisa.

"Mother!" Adrian ran over there.

"Adrian?" she said, shocked. But once she turned and saw that it was him, she hugged him. "Oh, it is you! I'm so glad to see you. But what are you doing here? This place is dangerous."

"I came here to find you." He then told her all of what had happened since the night she had been taken.

They had moved over to a couch partway through his explanation. Lisa didn't speak until he'd explained how he got from the Library to the Royal Suite. "Well, you are a brave one to do all that for my sake," she said. "But it's still dangerous for you to be wandering around this castle. You were lucky to be able to run by all those monsters."

"But I came here to take you back home," Adrian said. "There's maps in the Library, so we could find out where to go, and,"

She put her hand to his lips. "And your father controls much of this place. It will be harder for us to leave than it was for you to come in. But at least we know that each other is safe."

Even if she made sense, that disappointed him. "I guess. But what about that potion father gave me? I don't trust him, but it's supposed to turn me into a vampire in the next few years."

She bit her lip. "That is a problem. It will make it harder for you to resist tasting blood, and the antidote to it, if I can figure that out, is going to have a terrible effect on you. I may have to delve back into the study of the dark arts for that…"

He clasped her arm. "Don't do that, mother. You'll be going against God's will."

"Perhaps, or perhaps not." She hugged him. "If it can save your soul, though, I'd do it. I'll be careful, I promise."

"Why did you even start?" Maybe if she hadn't, he wouldn't be a dhimpir. Or maybe he wouldn't even exist. He wasn't sure which fate he would want.

After a moment of hesitation, she said, "I thought it was a better way of life, but it was just easier. I found the right way, though, and I've done my best to stick to it. You probably ought to head back to the Library, although I'm sure the servants will let your father know about this."

"Why don't you come with me?" Adrian asked, not ready to leave her alone yet. "We could plan how to leave together, and you might be able to find your research."

She shook her head. "No. Vlad has me sealed into this place. I can go into most areas of the Royal Suite, but I can't leave due to a magic barrier."

"That? I walked right through it to get here."

"It won't let me through. There's a teleporter nearby; hopefully you can reach the Library directly through there." She lowered her head and whispered, "If you wish to find a way out, the teleporters will be the best way to skip much of this place. The sun rarely reaches Castlevania, but try to make plans for the daytime hours. We could use any advantage we can get."

He nodded. "But do I have to leave right now?" he asked.

"I suppose you could stay a bit longer," Lisa said with a smile.


	15. Switch 4: Overgrown Garden

**Switch 4: Overgrown Garden**

As Lisa had thought, Vlad arrived in the Library soon after Adrian got back. They had gotten into an argument over that, with his father calling him a foolish child and telling the Librarian to keep a better eye on him. Despite that order, the Librarian was a scatterbrained and greedy man. Adrian found that he could pick up small gems for defeating monsters and bribe his guard with them. The old man didn't even notice that they were easy to get items; he seemed too absorbed in his newest shiny thing to care where it had come from.

Adrian was thus able to do his research for how to escape Castlevania with his mother. The task wouldn't be easy. Besides the monsters (of which he had only seen the weak ones so far), Castlevania was a place of chaos, with a layout that changed according to its master's soul, to be a reflection of it. And there were two people competing to be the master, so Castlevania was in flux. Since Vlad had control over the Library and the Royal Suite, these places were safe, until Olrox's forces invaded. And the areas were staying near each other for now.

One location that seemed promising was called the Overgrown Garden. Like many others, the name was fitting of the area. It had the look of an ornate garden that had once been cultivated for artistry, but had been abandoned for years. The statues of angels and demons were weathered and broken; a fountain was barely running, its base pool choked with algae and water weeds. Espeically overgrown were the vines, crossing every pathway to make walking difficult, covering many of the walls and blocking off doors, overtaking all other plants (even the trees), and in places turning demonic with flower heads that spat pollen and poison while trying to bite him. Despite the danger, it held a teleport room that was close to the main entrance to the castle.

While he was searching the garden to make sure there was a door to the Entrance Hall, the scent of blood reached his nose. The darker magic in his blood roused itself, trying to tempt him to listen. He focused on his cross in an attempt to block it out, but then a voice broke his concentration. "Were you looking for a way out of this place?"

He turned and saw a strange woman there. She had eyes that were hard to watch, like the sun. She wore a white dress but no shoes. On her left shoulder, there was a red wound, made recently but not blooding. But it still smelled alluring.


	16. Ending of the Madman

****_Refer to Switch 4: Adrian meets a strange woman who offers help._

**Ending 5: Ending of the Madman**

His heart quickened; he tried to take deep breaths to calm himself, but that only brought more of the scent to his mind. Even the odious scent of the monster flowers was hidden behind that. "I-I am," he said. He could resist it.

"It is a magical place, difficult to leave," the woman said, stepping closer and putting her hand on his shoulder.

That was too much. Grabbing a hold of her arm, Adrian bit her arm without a second thought. A flash of light and pain overcame his senses, like a fire burning away at his mind. His thoughts all snuffed out and became dark.

* * *

Darkness filled him. Darkness surrounded him. At times, an unfortunate being was sent into his prison. His hunger would rouse him, causing him to attack ferociously, drinking the blood and eating the flesh of his victims. The chains that kept him bound, living bonds of metal, would encase him one again, keeping him from wreaking havoc through the rest of the castle.

He couldn't think. He couldn't feel. He couldn't see. There was only that maddening hunger, and sometimes a reminder of the painful light that had crippled him so.

For those who studied Castlevania in hopes of ending its blight on the world, he was something to fear. Alucard, the son of Dracula, the ravenous bestial vampire said to be the strongest creature in the castle. The only thing that kept him from ruling it was the utter lack of intelligence and memory he had. Even the Belmonts would avoid a battle with Alucard if possible.

Only three souls in the castle even knew that he had once been a boy that had been overwhelmed by the powers of darkness: Death, Dracula, and his mother's sorrowful soul.


	17. Ending of the Idiot

_Refer to Switch 4: Adrian meets a strange woman who offers help.  
_

**Ending of the Idiot**

That smell was so enticing... but he couldn't taste blood. Adrian looked down at the ground, at the long crooked vines that grew all over this place. They were a dark green, somehow thriving with little sunlight. "I am," he said. "Sorry, but you..."

"It's okay," she said, coming closer and putting her arm on his shoulder. His body shivered, but he kept resisting. "This place is magical, difficult to leave. Especially for one such as you. I can teach you the spell to break the seal on your mother's room; you can use the teleport room to get to the Entrance Hall, which will be the quickest way for you both to leave."

He looked up at her face, wincing at her bright eyes. "Thank you. But, what are you? And how do you know about my mother?"

The strange woman put a finger to his lips. "Don't worry. Have faith in God. And beware of your father. He walks an evil road and will be lost to darkness forever because of his crimes against God. He will never win against the forces of light. Now, take care to memorize this spell well."

Once she was satisfied with his casting of the spell, Adrian made his way out of the Overgrown Garden and back to the Grand Library. His fire magic could deal with the plant monsters, but there were stronger spirits that took the cross shield to defeat. The Library was relatively safe. There, he could gather supplies and check his map for an idea of what the Entrance Hall was like.

While he was making his plans, Vlad came into the Library. The cape he usually wore was torn in places, his black hair was matted with something, and his face had a scowl. Adrian wondered what had happened to him; he was supposed to control much of this castle. Muttering, Vlad went to the shelves and yanked one of the books out. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Studying," Adrian replied. He nearly moved to another place to keep out of his way, but then had a thought. The priests said that you should try to convert others to the right way of things and that anyone had the right to God's forgiveness, if they changed their ways and asked. With that in mind, he added, "You're doing things wrong. The forces of light will win in the end; the Bible says so."

"You know nothing," his father snapped, making a slashing motion with his hand and cutting Adrian down on the spot with one of his spells of darkness. He died instantly.

* * *

Standing at the bottom of the old broken staircase, Richter looked far overhead and saw a bizarre mirror of Castlevania hanging in the sky above. Red mists were appearing in the castle they were in, deadly to them. Well, all but one of the three of them. But that was only because the child was already dead.

"Are you sure you should be continuing on?" Maria asked him, concerned.

"We don't have much time," he replied. "I already can't leave until the one who possessed me is gone. And once they kill me, they can bring the castle into world at its full power. Besides, I'll get stronger if I get back into practice. The way to the other castle should be past the throne room. But I got past this gap last time with the dark powers; too risky to do that now."

"I had one of my spirits take me up, but I don't think she can handle two," she said.

"I think I could get one of the large birds to carry you," the child said. Under the moonlight, his form was almost real: pale skin, dark pink eyes, white hair. Around his neck, there was a simple wooden cross that glowed a soft white. That was an unusual sign around Castlevania, and the main reason that Richter would trust him.

"Try it, Adrian," he said, nodding. The child smiled and floated up to find one of the Flea Riders to take possession of its bird. While he was gone, Richter turned to his old friend. "Where did you find him again?"

"In the Alchemy Laboratory," she said. "I wasn't sure of him at first, since any spirit in this place can be dangerous. But Adrian said that he was looking for his mother, and he briefly mistook me for her. Then he helped me defeat a pair of monsters with his holy powers, so I decided to work with him. I thought that we'd run into his mother's ghost at some time. But, not yet."

He shook his head. "I don't think you'll find her. He's been around this castle for centuries. The lore says that he's one of the few ghosts that can be trusted here. Nobody's been able to find his mother or find a way to free him from this place."

Maria looked down. "That's awful. I was hoping I'd find some way to help him. He's been a tremendous help to me in trying to find and free you."

"We should still try," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Besides, he's been here for all this time. I'm sure he appreciates any show of friendship."

Not long after that, Adrian returned, not with a bird, but with a far more useful artifact: the Jump Pendant.

* * *

_I wasn't going to make many comments during this, but... I think this ending would make for an interesting AU SotN fanfic._


	18. Ending of the Innocent

_Refer to Switch 4: Adrian meets a strange woman who offers help._

**Ending of the Innocent**

The scent of her was powerful. Out of habit, Adrian took hold of his cross pendant. It stung slightly, but that allowed him to ignore the dark desires coming out. "I am," he said in response to her question. "It's much harder to leave than it was to get in."

"That it is," she said, coming closer and putting a hand on his shoulder. Oddly enough, she had the same slight stinging feeling as his cross. "It is a magical place, but one of darkness."

"Then what are you doing here?" he asked, looking up at her and squinting because of her eyes.

She smiled. "I followed you in. I'm an angel. While I want to help you and your mother escape, I have no physical presence here. I'm also limited in using my full powers; the beings native to this place can do terrible things to me, if they knew I was here. This place is quieter, and the monsters here unable to recognize me. Because of that, I can teach you the spell to undo the seal on your mother's room."

This place was dangerous even to an angel? Then they really had to get out, and find someplace safe. "Would you, please?"

"Yes. Learn it well. Use the teleporters to get her to the Entrance Hall, for that will be your best path. And beware of your father. He walks an evil road and will be lost to darkness forever because of his crimes against God. He will never win against the forces of light."

Once she was satisfied with his casting of the spell, Adrian left the Overgrown Garden to return to the Library. The angel might think the Garden monsters weren't as much of a threat, but to him, the books and spirits of the Library were easier to deal with. He wanted to check the route and make sure he had plenty of supplies.

While he was making his plans, Vlad came into the Library. The cape he usually wore was torn in places, his black hair was matted with something, and his face had a scowl. Adrian wondered what could get to him, but felt that it would be bad to disrupt him in that mood. Slipping his map into a cooperative book, he went back to his bedroom to finish up his tasks.

He left the Grand Library a few hours later by way of the teleporter. During his investigations, he had figured out a system to it. On the wall, there was a diagram of symbols and colored gemstones. Each symbol represented a room. Some symbols were ruined by mud smeared in their indents, making them unusable. But for the rest, tracing his finger through the symbol would set the location he wanted. When it came to the gemstones, the red ones represented areas that his father held claim over, while the green ones were areas that Olrox controlled. There were a few white gemstones marking neutral grounds, like the Throne Room and, thankfully, the Entrance Hall. He set the teleporter to the Royal Suite, then passed through the glowing device.

The few servants who were with Lisa recognized him. Because he had been here several times since, they weren't concerned and simply directed him to where she was. He greeted his mother with a hug as usual; this time, the smell of her blood hardly bothered him. Whispering, he told her, "I can break the seal on this area now. We should leave quickly."

"Great, but let me get a cloak," she whispered back. "You may be able to wander the castle freely, but if they see me with you, we'll be in a lot of trouble." She went to the closet of the room, coming out with a black hooded cloak that seemed a couple sizes too large. But it worked for what they wanted, making her unrecognizable.

For a couple of minutes, they talked about other things, so that the servants wouldn't suspect anything. Then he led his mother back to the teleporter room, keeping an eye out for the servants and letting Lisa know when it was safe for her to hurry along unseen. The pink shield appeared just before the entrance to the teleporter. After focusing his magic, Adrian traced the symbol of his new spell over the sealing spell. When it glowed bright, he put his hand on it. The reaction between the two magics was like grabbing a fistful of stinging nettles, but he kept his hand there until the seal broke.

"That looked rough," Lisa said, taking his hand. Little red dots like pin pricks appeared all over his palm and fingers. "These wounds... it looks like what happens when a user of darkness tries to use a holy spell."

"I'm fine. It worked; let's go." He brought her in and set the teleporter to the Entrance Hall.

They were a few rooms away from the hallway where he had met his father. Many of the rooms here were similar, fancy areas like one would expect in the house of nobility. While they ran into a few monsters, none seemed intelligent enough to report their escape. Adrian could take care of them with his cross shield spell.

At one point, they came across two doorways in one wall. Lisa put her hand on his shoulder. "Which way do we go?" she asked quietly.

He reached for the sidebag he had, looking for the map. But then he felt a familiar coldness beyond one of the doors. If they went that way, they'd be discovered. "Death is through there," he replied, then opened up the other door into the very room where the scorched man and the fortune teller had been. Fortunately, neither one was there. From there, he knew they were almost free.

It was wonderful to be back outside, under the open sky. Nearly all the stars had faded as the sky turned brighter for the coming sun. After crossing back over the bridges, they were on the wooded road again. Adrian didn't know where to go from there, unfamiliar with the area and worn out from using his magic against all the zombies and skeletons on the bridge. But Lisa said that they should follow the road until they found certain signs of civilization.

But that brought up troubling thoughts. "What are we going to do now?" Adrian asked as they walked along the uneven path. "He's probably going to come find us once night falls."

"We'll have to trust in God," Lisa said. "Which means, finding a place like a cathedral or an abbey where Vlad won't dare come. At least, I hope not." She sighed, gripping her cloak tight.

"We have an angel following us," he said. "And once the sun is up, the dark creatures can't follow us."

"He can go out in the daylight," she reminded him. "Let's hurry before he realizes we're gone."

Adrian nodded and they continued their quick walk along the old road. Already, the creatures of the night had slipped away to lurk until darkness returned. He kept looking around, hoping for buildings, fences, or even signs of livestock, any sign that humans were near. But this road was quite wild.

They made it past the trees as the brilliant sun rose above the horizon. Further down the road, there was something, a sign that was too distant to read. Feeling relieved, Adrian looked up at his mother and smiled. He had succeeded.

But then, he was struck by a feeling of wrongness. He wasn't sure what it was for a moment, but his skin was tingling all over. He looked at his hands and saw that the little red pinpricks were spreading, rapidly. As the red dots began to bleed into each other, forming ugly large blotches, the sunlight struck his skin and caused him to burst into flames.

"Adrian!" Lisa cried out. But he was turned to ash in less than a minute.

In the brightness of the dawn, she momentarily saw a strange woman on the road with her. She wore only a simple white dress and had eyes like the rising sun. And in her arms, she was clasping Adrian close. "Despite a curse of dark blood, his soul is innocent," she said. "I will take care of him now. Continue down the road, but ignore the first town you come across. Instead, wait until you meet a farmer with a horse that wears a white cloth. He can take you to a town where you can find sanctuary. Keep your faith and I will come back for you one day." Then she spread large white wings that Lisa had not seen before, flying into the sky with Adrian's soul.

It was terrible, almost enough to make her want to give up then and there. She should have known that as a newly turned vampire, Adrian wouldn't be able to resist the purifying power of the sun. But if she did stop here and wait for the inevitable, she might never see him again for giving up hope, and faith.

He was in the care of an angel. Lisa hurried on down the road, taking heed of her warnings. While she did live for several years after, doing good works and taking care of other children, that dawn was when their legacy ended.


	19. Herbalist's Lab

_Refer to Switch 2: Adrian sees that his cross necklace now has a white glow._

***Back to Switch 2**

**Herbalist's Lab  
**

Keep faith in God. But he was a sign of the apathy of God in his very existence, born of a human woman and a vampire lord. Adrian had never questioned what the priests had said. But what his father and Death had talked about...

They couldn't be right. Adrian went over and picked up the glowing cross. However, it stung his skin and he dropped it. Had God already forsaken him for drinking the potion his father made him? But he hadn't really known what he had been doing.

Leaving the cross for now, Adrian felt at a loss of what to do.

At the encouragement of the Librarian, Adrian spent some time practicing with his magic and his sword against the monsters of the Grand Library. It was a large and confusing place. The shelves were in lines but not entirely straight ones, ladders led up and down levels in the wide open spaces, and small rooms like what was now his bedroom were scattered about in large stony walls. One time, he found some maps of Castlevania that showed it was all like this. He kept one of the maps, just in case.

Vlad came from time to time, checking up on his progress and trying to convince him to work with the powers of darkness. He even continued to call him Alucard. While Adrian didn't know if he should listen to his father, he knew that he didn't want to cross him. He had seen Vlad take care of every single monster book, spirit, and other creature in the Grand Library with just a snap of his fingers. Adrian couldn't even take out one of the books with one of his fireballs, even if they burned easily.

One day, his father brought him to another one of the small rooms in the Library. "This is a teleporter room, as marked by this symbol on the door," he explained. "I'm going to take you to see your mother in the Royal Suite and this is the fastest route. To get there directly means going through a contested area of Marble Hallway and Medusa's Tower, both places too dangerous for you at this time."

"As you say," Adrian said cautiously. But he'd go along to see his mother.

The Royal Suite lived up to his name, filled with lavish furnishings made with precious metals, expensive fabrics, and exotic woods. There didn't seem to be any monsters here, but Vlad assured him that the maids and servants here could all fight to protect Lisa if need be. Without even asking where she was, Vlad brought Adrian to a large room that the boy couldn't quite figure out the meaning to. It had shelves with books, yes, but the shelves also held onto glass vials, jars of strange objects, various small tools, and odd little devices. Lisa was standing at a large table, with an array of herbs and bowls like she was working on her herbal potions. Wearing a simple red dress and leather gloves, she nearly dropped the bowl she had when they came in. But then she smiled and put it down. "Adrian, you are here."

"Mother!" He went over and hugged her. For a moment, he noticed the mingling scents of talcum powder and blood around her. He quickly put that out of his mind. "I came looking for you."

"That he did," Vlad said, looking over the work table. "What are you doing in here?"

"Making some healing potions," she said. "I'm not used to having nothing to do." Then she stepped back and ruffled Adrian's hair. "It's good to see that you're well."

"Same here," he said.

Vlad turned to leave, but stopped in the doorway. "I can give you some time, but then I'll need to take him back to the library. You both keep to where you are, and you'll be safe with me." Then he went back into the hallway.

"We would have been better if he'd never taken you," Adrian said quietly.

Lisa sighed, clasping a hand to her chest. "He is misguided. But as it is, we cannot oppose him directly. Let's forget about that for now. Did he send someone to fetch you too?"

He shook his head. "No, I followed that creature, Death, with the portal he took you through." Then he explained how he'd gotten into Castlevania.

In the meantime, she had offered to sit by him on a bench in the room. She listened to his story, clasping his hand the whole time. "You are brave to do that," she said, "but it's not surprising that the castle's inhabitants overwhelmed you so quickly. This place has taken the lives of many men who have had far more experience in battle than you."

"I didn't know what I was getting into, and I didn't have long to think it over," Adrian admitted. Then he lowered his head. While he didn't want to, he had to tell her. "But then... something else terrible happened. Father gave me a potion which he made with his blood, so that I would eventually turn into a vampire. I heard him say it, but there wasn't much I could do to resist taking it. At the time, I was wearing my cross; now it burns me whenever I touch it."

She squeezed his hand. "Adrian..."

A small sob escaped him. "So I'm a monster now... and I think God has forsaken me. I don't know what to do."

"You're not a monster," she said gently. "If you can feel sorrow and guilt like this, then you're not that far gone. We might still have a chance, but we can't stay here for too long." She leaned closer to him. "I've been here trying to find ways to counter your curse. There are a few books that I could take which would help. If you can find the way out of here, we'll flee and try to find your redemption. The cross would be reacting to the magic in your blood now, but I think there is still hope."

That was what he wanted to hear. Still, it was harder to believe it now, when her scent was rousing those demonic feelings. "I, I'll try," he said quietly, then got up. "I'm sorry, Mother. But, I don't think I can stay close to you now."

"It's my own fault," she said, her shoulder sagging. She rubbed at one of her eyes. "Adrian dear, stay brave. I know it's a hard time for us, but we'll work things out."

"You be careful," he said. Then, for not knowing what else to do, he bowed and said goodbye, then walked out into the hall. It wrung his heart out to do this, but it was safer for both of them. He simply refused to let his feelings out until he was back in the Grand Library, alone.


	20. Switch 5: Teleport Chamber

**Switch 5: The Teleport Chamber**

With a nub of charcoal, a cloth to wipe away mistakes, and one of the castle maps, Adrian sat in the Library's Teleport Chamber, figuring out which symbol led to what location. The Entrance Hall, where he had first came in, had a teleporter that was the closest to the front gate. However, it also had a maze of small rooms and halls. According to this map, parts of the area were being fought over by Vlad and Olrox. There were two other close teleporters, one in the Overgrown Garden and the other in the West Castle Wall Corridor. The Garden was claimed by his father, and the Corridor wasn't seen as important enough to fight over. Whichever way he decided on, he'd have to walk through the area himself to make sure there wasn't any big problems with making their escape there.

But there were also two other possible exits. The Icy Aqueduct led into the Gateway Falls, but since that exit was by the waterfall into the lake, it might not be the right choice. Not only that, but Olrox had claim to both areas. The other exit was a tunnel from the Sulfuric Furnace to the Bridge Watchtower. Maybe, but the name of the Furnace area, and its neighboring locales, made him wary of choosing that way. It might be the most dangerous option when his father and Olrox were not considered.

Adrian's best choice seemed to be taking the front gate and trying out the three paths to it. But even if he had the escape route figured out, there was something to solve before that: how to get his mother out of the magically sealed Royal Suite.


	21. Switch 6: Medusa's Tower

_Refer to Switch 5: Adrian considers how to undo the seal on the Royal Suite._

**Switch 6: Medusa's Tower**

Adrian had decided on figuring out how to unseal the Royal Suite himself. After all, it had been done by magic, he was staying in a magical library, and the Librarian was happy to instruct him on anything in exchange for the small jewels Adrian was getting off the monsters he fought while scouting out his escape routes. He couldn't mention that he wanted to free his mother. After all, the Librarian was loyal to Vlad. Well, mostly loyal. His greed for jewels made him easy to manipulate.

"There's many different ways to seal things, and some require specific keys or spells to undo," the Librarian had taught him. "Most seals in Castlevania can be undone with unsealing cards or artifacts. The vital thing is to assess the seal that is your obstacle, then find a method that matches its qualities." He had even shown Adrian where to find a book that could identify seals and keys.

The faint pink seal that kept his mother in place was set only to prevent humans from going through it, he found. He could get through because he was half vampire. Thankfully, it would accept most enchanted key cards to momentarily dissolve and allow a human to pass through. He did a few small tasks for the Librarian to get on his good side, then was allowed to take a key card that would work. While he was hesitant to do so, the Librarian said that the best way for him to get stronger in magic and sword fighting was to challenge himself. But not too much, he warned.

Adrian's high spirits on getting the key card were countered by the teleport room in the Grand Library getting damaged by one of the monsters living there. At least the monster had created a mess of most of the Library, so the Librarian was busy repairing the damage when Adrian decided to put his plans into action. He left out the main exit of the Grand Library and headed towards the Royal Suite, by way of the Marble Hallway and Medusa's Tower.

In the Hallway, he had to dodge many large and strange monsters in order to get through safely, often running past them using a magical artifact he had won in the West Castle Wall Corridor; it was a small winged anklet helped him to sprint much faster than he could naturally. The anklet wasn't as useful in the Tower, as it consisted of a circular tower with long winding staircases and an unguarded five story drop (at least) from the Hallway entrance. But the only monsters he ran across in there were Medusa Heads, which thoughtlessly patrolled the area and were easy to avoid. Adrian climbed up to the Royal Suite entrance, pulling the key card out and mentally reviewing his next steps.

Because of that, he missed someone else coming into the Tower and walked into her. "Oh, sorry," the young woman said. "This place is so large and I've been running to escape all the monsters..."

Adrian looked up and saw a pretty face looking back quizzically. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes shimmering with tears, and a thin white dress that revealed a sensuously curvy body underneath. Not only that, but she smelled powerfully of sweat, blood, and lilies. It didn't make sense, as she showed no injuries.

She put her fingers on his cheek. "Wow, you're a pretty one. A little young for my tastes, but you know," she smiled, seeming thoughtful. "I'm Salome. I need to get somewhere, but I could use some help. If you help me, I'd be willing to return the favor." Then she gave him a light kiss on his nose.


	22. Ending of the Charming

_Refer to Switch 6: While going to unseal the Royal Suite, Adrian speaks with a woman named Salome._

**Ending of the Charmer**

Adrian felt flustered by this. It was odd being treated like that by a woman. Rather nice too. Trying to distract himself from that, Adrian reminded himself that he had to get out of here with his mother. Then again, he had the key to the seal and there was nothing saying that they had to leave right now. The extra time might even help Lisa figure out how to reverse his curse. Besides, what was Salome doing around here? She didn't seem like anyone else in Castlevania, not even his mother's servants.

"I can't go to many places, but I might be able to help you out," Adrian said.

Salome giggled and stroked one finger between his eyes. "Good, we should be just fine."

Thoughts of his mother and their escape melted in Adrian's mind. He just wanted to follow Salome. "Yes, we will be."

Salome lived in the Sky Observatory, an area on top of one of the other towers. But at the top of each tower, there was a secondary teleporter system that could take one from tower to tower. On the Sky Observatory roof, there was a large crystal ball, which could be aimed in any direction to give a closer view of whatever was there. Salome only gave him a brief glimpse of the rooftop, at first. Instead, she brought him into a hidden living quarters, with walls and ceiling painted black, then given little bright crystals and gold paint to show a breathtaking map of the night sky.

She was pretty breathtaking too, especially in the taste of her blood.

* * *

Some hours later, Adrian's father appeared on the Sky Observatory roof. They were up there now, Salome checking the crystal and Adrian enjoying the cool air. "Hello, Master," Salome said cheerily. "I hope you don't mind me borrowing him; it was kind of a whim." She giggled.

Vlad looked at Adrian for a moment. He wondered why his father was doing that, but his mind was still in a bit of a haze. At the moment, he'd rather stay here in the Observatory than go back to the Library. Or anywhere else.

"If it keeps him here," Vlad said, then came over to Adrian. "Would you come with me for a little while? I think we need to talk about what this life offers you, more than life out there."

"All right, Father," Adrian said, getting up to follow him. He was already considering how this life could be better than constantly worrying about what the priests went on about.

* * *

Alucard often took on missions outside of Castlevania. There were lots of lovely women in the castle, who were fun to play with. But it was more fun to pursue and to fool human women, and there was less conflict with his father. Dracula often complained that he kept pursuing frivolous things, like fashion, his appearance, and these flimsy romances. Sometimes, Alucard liked to taunt him that he had encouraged him in that early on, so that's who he became. In that, he had become very good at dodging attacks. He still knew that his father's sentimentality and his own skills would keep him alive, valuable.

It was dawn and he was walking out of town. Last night had been an interesting encounter. While he knew a lot of signals that a woman would be interested in a beautiful stranger passing through town, he'd not been expecting that lady to approach him. Of course, the first time she'd been with others, so she might have simply guarded her expression well.

After taking a deep breath to catch the scent of flowers someone had around their home, he found an unexpected smell. It was human, but with a powerful element of light, a sign of someone with the favor of holy beings. Not just that, but a particular sign. It meant that there was someone of the Belmont bloodline around. And, very close.

Not long after a brown-haired man had come to walk beside him. "You're leaving town late," he said.

Alucard raised an eyebrow. "Am I? The sun is just now rising; I don't mind it. Are you trying to incite something?"

"Once we're out of town," he replied, a stern edge to his words.

He smiled. "If that suits you." It seemed like a fun thing to do.

It would turn out to be a fatal mistake.


	23. Ending of the Resolute

_Refer to Switch 6: On his way to unseal the Royal Suite, Adrian meets a woman named Salome._

**Ending of the Resolute**

The kiss from Salome startled Adrian. It caused feelings he hadn't felt before, mixed in with the blood lust from his curse. Was it the same kind of thing? He didn't think so. Regardless, the thought warned him to be careful in deciding on what to do. What was she doing here alone anyhow? Perhaps she was another inhabitant of Castlevania. Or maybe she could handle herself in a fight, but was out of her league here like he was.

"Um, you might want to consider leaving," he said. "Depending on the item you're after, anyhow. Some places here are so dangerous it might not be worth it, at least what I've heard. I'm getting out of here with my mother. If you want to leave with us, I'm sure we can manage."

"Oh, you're here for your mother?" Salome asked, a touch disappointed. "How sweet. As for what I'm looking for... well, it may be a little dangerous. I just thought that since you were here, the help would be good. Leaving huh?" She put her hand to her chin.

Adrian continued up the steps to the next level, where the entrance to the Royal Suite was. "Yes. But I have to get my mother first." And walking away from her helped with resisting the lure of her smell.

Thinking quietly, Salome followed him up the stairs. Adrian got to the door, observing the pink glow on it. He held the keycard up to it; after a second, the glow disappeared. As he put his hand on the doorknob, another hand grabbed his, preventing him from opening it. It was a hand much larger than Salome's should have been. Adrian looked up and saw Vlad standing next to him, his red eyes stern.

"What are you doing?" Vlad asked.

Although he felt afraid, something irked him. Maybe it was because of Salome alerting Vlad to this (because it was too much of a coincidence otherwise), or maybe it was because of how someone so clearly wrong in his ways had become so powerful. Adrian kept still. "I'm helping my mother, as I set out to do."

"Don't defy me!" Vlad growled, yanking Adrian's hand off the doorknob and throwing him across the tower. His back hit the edge of the stairs on the opposite site, giving him such a shock of pain that there was nothing he could do as he realized that the bottom of this tower was covered in massive spikes.

* * *

"Sorry, master, I didn't mean to cause trouble," Salome said. She sounded afraid, as she should be.

But it was entirely the boy's fault, Vlad told himself. He had given his son an opportunity at wealth and power, only to have him reject it in favor of stealing Lisa back to a life of poverty, filth, and hard work. That was inexcusable. "You're not in trouble, this time," he warned the witch, then headed into the Royal Suite. If he did this right, the death might help convince Lisa to stay by his side, permanently.

* * *

Tucked away in odd corners of the castle, there was a little shop that helped out mortals and good beings who had come into Castlevania. The shopkeeper didn't care if one had come in willingly or not; he helped out anyone he perceived to have a good heart and soul. He knew how to make artifacts and potions out of alchemy, blessed equivalents of the accursed items that were common. If one didn't have gold, he was willing to barter for materials, favors, and dangerous items.

He kept his shop tidy, if a little mystical. It was always in a small room, dressed with fabrics woven with spells to keep monsters away and keep the place hidden from the master of the castle. Whatever one needed to navigate the castle, he often had it: maps, keys, artifacts. It was known that he only took gold in order to buy more items and to prevent an overly noticeable spark of generosity. And he knew a lot about Castlevania and its inhabitants; one only had to ask to get his thoughts on something.

However, he wasn't human. He had the face of a child, of twelve or fourteen years, with red eyes, pale lips, and white hair. He often wore a hooded cloak, not always revealing himself. More telling, his body was not visible, save to those who could see ghosts and spirits. When he extended his arm, there was a gap between his gloves and the sleeve of his shirt.

"Do you intend on going into the Royal Suite?" he asked his current customer.

Soma nodded. "Yes, it seems to be where I need to investigate next."

The shopkeeper bowed his head. Something about that made him sound downcast. "If you must. Since..." he nearly said one thing, but changed his words, "Since Lord Dracula is gone, there is a spirit that he imprisoned there. It is a woman deranged from grief, turned into a monster. Would you being willing to try freeing her soul from the castle? Her condition is no fault of her own."

Odd... he had been collecting souls of defeated monsters, but this one should go free? Why? But then, this shopkeeper had been helpful and kind, a welcome presence in this place. "I can try," Soma said.

"Good," he said, then pulled something from his cloak. "Take this with you, then. It may be of help in doing so."

He took it, but wasn't sure why this would work. It was a simple wooden cross on a cord, so old that it felt petrified. "This? Wouldn't any cross help?"

He shook his head. "No. That one has particular meaning to her, and she should know it. If not, then I guess there's no hope for her. Good luck, Soma."


	24. Book of Alchemy

_Refer to Switch 5: Adrian considers how to unseal the Royal Suite._

**Book of Alchemy**

Adrian wanted to find how to break the seal on the Royal Suite, but wasn't sure that was a smart idea. Would his father know if that happened? He didn't know enough about magic to know if that was possible. Could he move the seal so that his mother could access the teleporter?It was the biggest obstacle at the moment. He couldn't really plan on an escape route if he didn't know how to get her out of that area in the first place.

He continued to talk to the Librarian for more information, trying to disguise his intentions. He even spoke with his father hoping for some clue. One time, he decided to ask why the challenge for control of the castle was going on. "I've seen a few fights when I peeked into the Marble Hallway a little while ago, but there really doesn't seem to be much going on."

"That's because Olrox doesn't stand a chance at winning," Vlad said, with a smug smile. "He's trying for that area because it links to many others, but I've already made certain to keep a strong hold on the truly vital areas. I was amused by his audacity, coming right in here and declaring that I was unfit for the position of Lord Dracula, ruler of the night, when he is not even a century old and does not have full control over his powers. Thus, I gave him the illusion of a chance to win. He is giving his all and I hardly need to do anything."

"Did you bring my mother in here to flaunt that?" Adrian asked.

"Clever boy," he said. "But watch yourself. If he dares threaten either of you, I'm calling this game off. I doubt he'll make it to this place; he can't get a good enough position in the Marble Hallway to even think about that. And I still hold the Crimson Stone, so he will have to bow to my authority at some time."

"Why is that?"

Vlad considered him for a moment, so Adrian looked back up at him, trying to appear innocently curious. It must have worked, for he continued. "It's a powerful artifact that enhances the powers of darkness, in particular those needed and used by vampires. It's unique, the only one of its kind. And I know this because I found it and repaired it with alchemy, back when I was still a mortal man. I am the only one who possesses the knowledge necessary to use it properly."

"That's impressive," Adrian said, giving him a smile. Wrong, most likely, but impressive.

Fortunately, the outward response was enough to encourage his father on. "And you don't know how much went into getting it. It's much more impressive when you know that. Some would say that it's a cursed artifact, or a failed Philosopher's Stone; I think it's more related. Alchemy has always been strong in our family. In fact, I mean to teach you some time. Do you know how to read Greek and Latin?"

"Latin yes, but not Greek," he said. His mother had said that knowing how to read gave one a tremendous advantage over most people, enough to where one considered a wizard might simply be a reader.

"We should get you to reading Greek at some time, as well as a few other languages. Literacy is a great power one can have over others; it is one reason why I keep up this library. Here, you should be able to read most of this then." He passed over not a book, but a small chain bracelet with two charms on it. One was a book, while the other was a cube.

"Read this?" Adrian asked, looking over it puzzled.

Vlad flicked the book charm, causing it to disappear. In its place, a large book with a hefty black cover and cream-colored pages appeared in front of Adrian. It floated until he took hold of it. "This artifact bracelet will allow you to carry several active magical items and gain all their effects. It also lets you store items like a book of magic in smaller forms." Then he took the cube charm off. "I suppose I should keep this. It's a Cube of Zoe, which allows you to take some energy from magical candles, which are prolific here," He pointed out the odd thin candle with reddish flames at the edge of one of the book shelves. "But it's an easy item to make with alchemy, good to learn with."

"And this could teach me alchemy?" He opened up the book and saw a neatly drawn ink diagram on the front cover. While it seemed to hold some meaning, he wasn't sure what that meaning would be.

"It is the ultimate guide to alchemy," Vlad said. "And there are only two copies of it. Mine, and this one I have been making for you. The secrets within this book are only known by a few others, those who have seen portions or partial copies. The basis of it is alchemical traditions that have been in my family for generations, but I have added so much more, including a great deal of information on Castlevania." He then gripped Adrian's shoulder. "This means that you must never let this book leave your hands, Alucard. Never."

"I won't," he said.

In his mind, many thoughts were spinning. This book could hold the secret to undoing his curse, even if Vlad didn't realize it. It could also teach him how to take control of Castlevania. Although he tried to dismiss that latter thought, it remained as a tempting possibility. He also realized that he might be able to use Olrox against Vlad, and get his mother out with that somehow.


	25. Switch 7: Olrox's Quarters

**Switch 7: Olrox's Quarters**

It was a dangerous idea, he realized. Olrox was his father's enemy, and being Vlad's son could make him a target. But, he thought it was worth a try. Once he and his mother got out of here, they could flee to a holy place where Vlad wouldn't be able to reach them. And he would take the book of alchemy with him. It would remain a potent tool against the forces of darkness.

According to his father and the book, Castlevania was chaotic in nature. New areas came up as the master of the castle needed them (even if the place was not asked for) while old areas vanished into the void when unneeded. That explained why there was a location in the teleporter for Olrox's Quarters, even though the challenger was new to the castle. While he was able to get there easily, finding Olrox would be tougher. He might not even be here at the moment.

This place was different from his father's area. It was a much darker area than the brightly lit Grand Library. Coming out of the teleporter's room, Adrian found himself in a large courtyard where the sky was an odd shade of violet. Ornate black metal formed like thorned vines made door handles, fences, and decorative edges. In the center of the courtyard, there was a large fountain made up of figures of young naked women. The water that spilled down its sides was colored to look like blood, although the scent and flow betrayed its true nature. The plants that grew here were beautiful and sensuous, but many of them grew thorns, probably poisons too.

And not far down the path, there was a monster patrolling the area. It looked like a lizard, but standing on its rear legs and as large as a man. It was equipped with a round wooden shield, a leather helmet, leather boots, and a simple spear. Quickly spotting him, the lizardman hissed a warning before charging at Adrian with its spear.

Running out of the way, he considered his options. He had his sword in one hand and his lantern in the other. But his shield was strapped to his back currently. The way he thought of it, the lantern would keep away most creatures here, or stun them enough that he could hit them with his sword. Plus, it was easier to focus on his fire magic if the candle was lit. But this lizard seemed unafraid of the light.

Adrian cast a fireball at the lizard's shield, causing it to catch fire. Like with the skeleton rider on the bridge, this hurt the creature and made it panic. He went in to strike it with his sword, but soon had to step out of the way again. Its spear gave it greater range, making it dangerous for the boy to approach it. Maybe if he stuck with magic...

Before he had to attack again, a flash of violet lightning cut through the lizardman, turning it to ashes immediately. "What have we here, hmm?" The source of the lightning spell stepped into the moonlight.

He was taller than Vlad, but much thinner. He had pale gray-toned skin that was more like the dead than the living. Although his eyes were covered by his helmet, he stepped over thorny vines with no problem. His armor seemed to be some kind of metal, but with a violet tinge that didn't seem natural. This protection covered his whole body so that only the lower half of his face and parts of his hands were visible. On seeing him, Adrian knew that he was a strong manipulator of the darkness. Not as strong as Vlad, but definitely stronger than himself.

"You're a strange and beautiful child," he said in a voice that was as smooth as his armor. "Your blood smells of darkness and of light... but also of him. What are you doing in my quarters?"

Then this was Olrox. He thought he was of darkness and light? That gave Adrian some confidence. Maybe the curse made it hard to handle the cross, but there might still be a chance for him to be redeemed and become fully human. Now how much should he say to this vampire?


	26. Ending of the Reckless

_Refer to Switch 7: Adrian seeks out his father's rival Olrox for help._

**Ending of the Reckless**

Olrox would be more interested in Castlevania than in him and his mother, Adrian felt. "I was hoping to get your help," he said. "Vlad forcefully brought my mother here, and I've followed to rescue her. I just want to get the both of us out of here, but he wants to keep us for some reason."

He put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I see." Hopefully he would see this as an opportunity to make Vlad vulnerable, by distracting him. And on top of that, Olrox taking advantage of that opportunity should give him and his mother the time to get to a safe place. "Well I am not a malicious man, especially to ignore the bravery of a youth like you trying to navigate this place on your own. I think we can work out a deal."

And with that, Olrox snapped his fingers.

* * *

"Are you sure that we can trust this man?"

"I'm sure."

* * *

Adrian woke up with a pounding headache. He groaned and shifted his arms, trying to get back to the ignorance of sleep. When he did, there was the sound of metal being dragged, as well as recognition of a hard material around his arm. He opened his eyes, finding himself in a small dim room. He was on a wooden bed with only a thin straw-stuff mattress. Around his arms and legs, there were metal chains holding him in place. There was no door to this room, nor anything to keep him in aside from the chains. Why was he chained up?

Unfortunately, he could not remember. Part of it was the pain inside his head. Despite that, there was definitely something missing. He recalled Olrox snapping his fingers clearly, but after that, it was just fragments that made little sense. He looked around the area, hoping for some hint of what was going on.

Not far from him, there was the heart-wrenching sight of the dry husk of his mother's body, wearing the same pink dress he had last seen her in. It was like someone had ripped the heart out of his body and told him that all of his efforts were meaningless. Lisa was gone and there was nothing that could be done about it.

Eventually, he heard footsteps coming down the stone passageway. Olrox appeared, his armor stained as if he'd done some fighting to get here. "There you are," he said, coming into the room. "I was wondering where he had taken you." He grabbed one of the restraints on Adrian's arm and easily ripped it off.

"I, I don't know what happened," he said, trembling although his tears had stopped. "But I know that's my mother. I-I failed to get her back."

"He did a rotten thing to force you to do that," Olrox said.

Force? Had he really...? Adrian stared down at the ground, feeling new sense of dread. How could that happen? There was no way, no way, that he would hurt his mother.

"The blood lust can overwhelm anyone, especially the first few times," he said, kneeling to take off his leg restraints. "It's dreadful what you have lost, but we should get you out of your father's area quickly." Then he turned his face to Adrian's. "I can help you get revenge. Little else matters now, right? It will set things right."

His father had forced him into this. Grim, Adrian clenched his fists. "Right."

* * *

It was years later before Adrian realized that he had never touched his mother's blood. Olrox had killed her. Olrox had set the whole thing up in order to take advantage of him. And now, Adrian was a servant of Olrox, now recognized as Dracula and the master of Castlevania. By catching Vlad with his sentimentality, the two of them had been able to kill his body and destroy his spirit. To pay his 'debt' for Olrox's help, Adrian was to be a loyal and unquestioning servant.

Now that he knew the truth, he was going to stop at nothing to destroy Olrox. Even take advantage of one of his other disgruntled servants. "So you've turned back to devil forging," he said to Hector.

The man turned quickly on realizing that he wasn't alone. "What's it to you?" he asked, cautious. "And who are you?"

Dressed in a hooded black cloak and using some magical trickery to further hide his identity, he took a step closer. "Call me Alucard," he said. At this point, he would take on the name his father wanted for him. "I want to help you. You have lost much because of Lord Dracula, as have I. Since we have the same goal, it only makes sense to help each other."

Although perhaps not the same goal. Hector only wanted revenge for his loss; he did not even care if the effort killed him. But for Adrian, now Alucard, he wanted to get rid of Olrox and take over Castlevania in his place. He still had his father's book of alchemy, kept safe and secret all these years. Once he had the power to back up his plans, he would use that knowledge to make darkness and despair cover the whole world.

Much like his life since losing his mother had been.


	27. Switch 8: Parlor of Shadows

_Refer to Switch 7: Adrian seeks out his father's rival Olrox for help._

**Switch 8: Parlor of Shadows**

On considering the fountain nearby, as well as the fact that Olrox could apparently smell his father's influence on him, Adrian decided that he needed to be cautious. He might even have made a mistake in coming here, but now that he was, he had to keep himself out of trouble. "I got lost in this place," he said.

Olrox nodded once. "Yes, but why would a child like you be here?"

He shrugged. "It was... Vlad, that's his name. He's why I'm here. I'm allowed to go where I like, but with stuff like that lizardman around, I really can't go much of anywhere."

Frowning, he said, "Yes... he gives you the illusion of freedom, but I'm suspecting no one but him is allowed it. Unless you work outside his influence. Are you looking for more power to do that?" He moved his hand, as if working a spell.

Looking at the fountain in case the magic required eye contact, Adrian said, "Maybe. I just want to get out of here."

"You might need power to get out of here." He rubbed his chin. "Why don't you come with me? We can go somewhere more suitable to talking. The other lizardmen might be here shortly."

"Thank you," he said, nodding. Then he followed Olrox back indoors.

The place he brought Adrian to was still dim; many shadows swayed with the magical candles in the room and the natural one in his lantern. And the shadows were strangely shaped, thanks to the ornate furnishings. There were even little metal rings around the larger candles, with the sole purpose of putting the shadows of strange creatures on the walls. Across from the door, there was a large grandfather clock that had an axe head for a pendulum. There were a couple of couches and chairs, but Olrox invited him to sit at a small round table.

Before long, a zombie servant in a ragged black suit brought in drinks for them. Olrox tapped the glasses before allowing the drinks to be poured. "Now, where is he keeping you? Someone like you must have a safe area to sleep and recover in."


	28. Ending of the Slave

_Refer to Switch 8: Olrox invites Adrian into a parlor to ask him questions._

**Ending of the Slave**

"I've managed to find some spots without monsters," Adrian said, glancing at the glass. It wasn't a drink he was familiar with, but he was thirsty. Taking a sip of it, he found it to be a kind of weak beer, of the sort appropriate to give a child. It was different from that which he normally had. "There's some safe rooms, although sometimes they say 'save room' instead."

Olrox nodded. "Ah, yes, those places. I can never seem to get rid of them. But where in particular?"

"The Grand Library," Adrian said, feeling like his body was filling with a warm fuzzy feeling. It was weak beer, wasn't it? It wasn't supposed to have enough punch to affect him, and so quickly at that. After a moment's concern, he didn't care anymore.

"Why we you brought here?"

Didn't care about anything. "He brought my mother here. I'm his son."

* * *

Olrox smiled as he saw the look of a sleepwalker come over the boy's eyes. It was as he suspected: this child was related to his enemy. However, it was an odd circumstance. He was so young and there was no way Vlad could have fathered him. Unless Adrian was from Vlad's mortal years, turned to the darkness before he matured in body. A strange choice, but perhaps a cunning one. Who would suspect a boy like this to be a vampire?

But, there was still work to do. The one charm over the glass was only temporary, but it would allow him to give the boy a more permanent means of enforced obedience. Then he could turn Adrian against Vlad and bring down the former Lord Dracula that way.

"Finish your drink and then we'll continue on to my lab, for further talk," Olrox said, drinking from his own glass. The only charm on this one was to allow him to consume it. While it was tedious to continually cast that magic, he loved the pleasures of life too much to give them up in this elevated form of being. Especially beer.

Before either of them could finish, a barrage of fireballs crashed through the window overlooking the fountain garden. A few went wild, consuming various pieces of furniture, but most were aimed directly at him. Knowing that it couldn't be at random, Olrox jumped out of his seat and grabbed hold of Adrian. He kept the boy close as he turned around. "What are you after?" he shouted.

Just past the window, Vlad was standing there, wearing his usual outfit that was more appropriate for a frivolous dandy than the ruler of vampires. For the moment, he was stunned, caught between a desire not to hurt his son and another to kill him. Olrox was tempted to gloat about it, but he recognized that he was not going to get another chance like this any time soon. He took advantage of it by directing his most powerful lightning spell into Vlad's chest. While it normally only lasted a few seconds, he forced the spell to continue on for a full minute. It completely exhausted him to do so, making him fall to his knees when it ended.

But Vlad was now nothing more than ashes.

* * *

On getting the call, Olrox teleported to the Chamber of Chaos, bringing Adrian with him. After completing the enslavement enchantment over him, he had cleaned up the boy and dressed him in his fancy clothes again. He had discovered that there was an allowance for him to mature, which was promising. Olrox intended to keep mostly beautiful women around him to drive the mortal men to jealousy, but there was nothing wrong with keeping around a beautiful man for fun as well. And the first person he was going to flaunt this to was Adrian's father.

Vlad's spirit was there, a black and red orb affected by a flame-like turmoil. Death was there too, his skull grinning like always (but that didn't always indicate what he was thinking). However, it seemed that part of the final judging was already going on. "It is an especially shameful death because you were too concerned for your child to take out your foe. It is the kind of foolishness I would expect out of a mortal."

"But he had to burn through all of his power in order to take me out," Vlad argued. "He's hardly powerful and will had a hard time keeping Castlevania together."

"He has done well despite his obstacles," Death said, then turned to him. "Now what did you bring him in for?"

Olrox smirked and put his hand on Adrian's shoulder. The boy didn't react; he couldn't unless Olrox willed it. "Well I just picked up this lovely doll here recently. You can't blame me for wanting to keep him close by to admire. It shouldn't be long before I can really toy with him."

Vlad's spirit nearly attacked him at that point, but Death prevented it. That moment did much to tip the favor to Olrox instead.

* * *

"He was being controlled as much as we were," a woman's voice said. "We may as well give him a chance."

"He's a vampire," a man replied. "It's odd that one of them would be under Dracula's control like that."

"Unless he was an enemy of Dracula at one point," another man said.

Adrian took a deep breath; they were nearby, watching him where he had fallen. But they hadn't killed him yet. And, they could. The one man smelled like he had the Vampire Killer whip. After opening his eyes a slit to make certain of their positions, he got onto his feet. He wasn't sure what to do about them... but neither were they about he. "Which Dracula?" he asked, startling all but the Belmont (who probably knew some of what he was capable of). "I have seen the title change hands four times while I was made a slave. So, thank you for releasing me."

"You must have been enslaved for a long time," the Belmont said, his opinion shifting with that knowledge.

He shook his head. "Not as long as you would think. There have been many foolish ones who have tried to overtake Castlevania in my time there. None have been strong enough or intelligent enough to truly master it. That is why parts of it and its population leak into the world so often."

"You seem to know a lot about the castle," he said. "What do you want with it?"

He snorted. "I have too many bad memories within its walls; I may have been captive, but I knew what was happening. Its most important defenses are weakened, thus it shouldn't be hard to destroy the place once its current master has fallen. That would be the best course."

"Do you know the way in? I am Trevor Belmont, and thus I am bound to see that place destroyed. And this would be Sophia and Grant."

"The bridge has fallen, but I know other ways in," he said. "I am Adrian."

Between the four of them, banishing Castlevania from the world from that point on was simple.


	29. Parlor of Ashes

_Refer to Switch 8: Olrox invites Adrian into a parlor to ask him questions._

**Parlor of Ashes  
**

He didn't quite recognize the drink given to him, but Adrian guessed that it wasn't dangerous, as both had been poured from the same jug. Then again, what had Olrox done to the glasses? He was thirsty, but Adrian did his best to ignore it. He shouldn't let this last long. "I find safe areas that the monsters stay away from. They have similar features, so it's not hard to pick them out. What's hard is finding them."

"You must learn quickly," Olrox said, looking over him. "A good trait to have around here. What does Vlad want you for?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I never saw him before all this happened."

Leaning forward with his arms on the table, Olrox said, "I think he wants you here because you're his son."

"What makes you say that?" Adrian asked, trying to sound uncertain.

"The hints are all about you. Your blood smells like his." He reached over and ran his fingers down Adrian's cheek. "Your eyes and face are like his too, softened a little by the grace of youth, and possibly your mother. The lay of your hair, perhaps, although not the color." He took a strand of his white hair. "It may be a sign of supernatural means surrounding your existence. This stark color is normally given by age, not by birth. Yet, it gives you an exotic allure; you should be proud."

What was this vampire trying to do? It made Adrian feel uncomfortable. This definitely hadn't been a good idea. He tried to push the armored hand away. "But he's a vampire. How could he be my father?"

"That is a puzzle, isn't it?" Olrox seemed to be looking into his eyes, as if his own eyes could pierce through that metal helmet. Maybe they could. Then he clasped one of Adrian's fingers. "Don't be nervous. I like the good things in life, not the bad. You can trust me."

Something about his words sounded odd, like they were trying to put him to sleep. Adrian tried to keep alert, fight it off. But it was unexpectedly difficult, like trying to continue to read when he was halfway asleep. Closing his eyes, he hoped that he wouldn't fall asleep.

A crashing of glass startled him, although it was hard to shake the enchantment (as it most likely was). Opening his eyes, he saw Olrox get flung into the wall. In his place was Vlad, scowling at his challenger. "You've overstepped your bounds with this plot," he said sharply.

Olrox warped to another spot in the room, but Vlad was by Adrian's side faster. "He came in here on his own," he said, an odd hiss coming with his 's'. "He wants to make trouble for you."

"That is not of your concern." he raised his hand, forming a large fireball. While Olrox warped after it had been launched, the spell changed direction and hit him anyhow. The challenger then struck back by summoning a swarm of ghostly skulls; Adrian felt his head droop as he found it harder to follow the battle going on around him. But Vlad did seem serious about not letting him get harmed, even getting hit once instead. At least once.

The thing that broke his weariness was the tolling of the bells in Clock Tower. Adrian looked around and found that the room was quite demolished: the clock was in pieces, the furnishings turned to blacked husks, two walls blown away. However, neither he nor the chair he was sitting in had been so much as scratched. Vlad was standing by him, hand on the back of the chair; Olrox was trying to stand, but much of his armor had been destroyed and his hand was to his chest in a guarded manner.

And Death was hovering between them. "I will be making my decision on who deserves to be the master of Castlevania soon," he said. "You have one more chance to give your arguments. Meet me in the Throne Room by the next tolling of the bells, in ten minutes." Then he turned to black smoke, which dissipated into nothing. But a few more words of his came, "And bring that boy as well. The woman can stay where she is."

"Woman?" Olrox asked.

"Yes, I've been keeping a few guests safe," Vlad said, smug with confidence. He then griped Adrian's arm and brought him to his feet. A snap of his fingers brought him to full awareness. "Let's go; we can discuss other matters later."

With the helmet's visor broken, Adrian could see the shriveled black orbs that were in the other vampire's eye sockets. But the rest of his expression told everything. Olrox was confounded by the revelation that Vlad had been keeping 'guests' all along.


	30. Switch 9: The Throne Room

**Switch 9: The Throne Room**

Adrian wasn't sure why Death had requested that he had been here. Right at the start, he had been told to sit on a bench at the side of the room, out of the way of the main event. Death hovered in front of a bizarre throne. Adrian had thought of it as regal at first, but then he noticed that it was made of human bones, fused together with some kind of concrete. It was mostly bones, though, hexed or petrified to a weird off-black that seemed like metal. Yet, he was certain those were real bones. Blood red cushions with gold trim had been added, presumably for comfort.

Much of the same style filled this room. It was made up of dark stones, but large windows open to the night air kept it from seeming too heavy. On the floor leading up to the throne, there was a red and gold carpet. All around the room in neat rows, there were golden candelabras that bore images of skulls and bony hands. Red and gold drapes hung from the ceiling and walls, leading to a dramatic place, almost like a stage. Vlad and Olrox stood a step below the throne, facing Death as temporary equals. Although, each man's poise suggested that he thought himself more important.

After some exchanges that seemed like ritual, something all three expected to say, Death asked several questions of them. There was a harsh exchange about Adrian's presence. Vlad was still hanging onto his explanation of proving the apathy of God, while Olrox argued that it was a weakness of sentimentality for family, something that no vampire should be affected by. "For we have severed all of our ties to humanity in embracing the darkness," Olrox said with conviction.

Death declined to make a firm statement about Adrian here. Instead, he carried on his examination. One question that caught the boy's attention was when he asked, "In the time that you both have had control over Castlevania in this conflict, what have you done to improve on the hold of darkness over the world?"

"I have taken in a number of mortal captives to torture and turn to despair," Olrox said. "I only took one from each family, so that there has been as much pain as possible. Once I get the prisoners to turn from God, I intend to send them back to spread their blasphemous new beliefs."

"That's thinking too small," Vlad said. "I sent a disease to attack the crops of many lands. Some areas are stricken severely, while others are untouched. Those whose crops have failed will not only feel hunger and hopelessness, but they will also feel jealousy and hatred towards their neighbors who were unaffected. This will lead to thievery, violence, false accusations of black magic, fear, and perhaps even war if the right people are nudged in the right direction."

His father was responsible for the failure of his hometown's crops?


	31. Ending of the Tyrant

_Refer to Switch 9: Adrian learns that his father cursed his hometown's crops._

**Ending of the Tyrant**

An argument ensured on how much of an impact that would have, with Olrox arguing that crop failures didn't lead to fear of the dark powers and Vlad countering that far more people would be affected. "Plus humankind can be its own worst enemy," he added. "Setting up such terrible conditions will lead to people turning from God, and on each other, building up our influence over time."

It should be wrong. It was wrong. But, if one had the power to destroy so many crops, there had to be an opposite power to cause crops to thrive. That would help the world immensely; people wouldn't be at the mercy of nature, or magic, to get their daily food. While the priests said that all good things came from God, there was still talk among farmers of powerful spirits, like the Earth Mother and the souls of trees. Maybe God wasn't all powerful, or maybe He let power be spread more than people thought.

Shifting on the bench, Adrian wondered how one might get the power to do good instead of evil. His mother knew some, but what she did was small compared to what his father could do. It might be worthwhile to stay here a while longer, studying his father's book of alchemy, among other resources in the Grand Library. Sure, he'd have to convince his mother that it was a good idea. The rewards would be great, though.

* * *

After many years of study in Castlevania, Adrian finally fled the place. He had wanted to take his mother with him. Unfortunately, her outspoken refusal to bow to Vlad's will turned his love to hate, and he killed her. Adrian quietly accepted his lie on the face, but also did some quiet work against his father, now recognized as Lord Dracula once again. He left Romania far behind, heading instead to England, where he set himself up as a white sorcerer. Through his power to enhance the land and keep away creatures of darkness, he initially gained much respect, as well as land and a title.

But as time went on and he remained a young man untouched by time, people began to be suspicious of him. Many were afraid and avoided coming into his presence for long. But others grew jealous of his power and influence. They encouraged others to refuse paying tribute to him, while hiring assassins to kill him. With his vampire heritage, mastery over magic, and skill with a sword, none of them found it easy to dispatch him.

Adrian couldn't understand it. He was trying to do good for people, and they tried to kill him? It took a lot of work for him to keep the lands productive. While he accepted tributes, he had only put down guidelines because people would initially give him anything, like a portion of the harvest (which he couldn't partake in unless he used specific spells every time) or even a manor one time (that had hardly been a gift as it cost quite a lot to get in good shape). The more he thought about it, the less it seemed that people really appreciated him.

The King of England called for him to be put on trial for using black magic. It had been justified in a way, as it had been a curse against the lands of the one who was hiring the most assassins against him. It hadn't been his doing, though. After considering how the King was mortal, and one more likely to fund his own banquets than to help the people, Adrian decided that it didn't suit him to obey. One night, he took his sword and entered the King's castle. This was an ordinary stone castle, so Adrian found it laughably easy to infiltrate after his younger days of navigating Castlevania. After killing the King, Queen, and their children, he told the guards that he was taking over as King of England, and if any wished to challenge him, he would face them in combat.

Several did, but after they died without hardly making a scratch on Adrian, no one refused his coronation. Over the next few months, he reviewed the laws of the land and rejected those that did not suit him, replacing them with those he found sensible. Traitors would be dealt with personally by him. He taught a small group some of the secrets of magic, not enough to overtake him, but enough to help him keep control over the people. When people paid their taxes, he would put a blessing over their fields. If they refused, he would put a curse over them.

And still people fought against his rule. Adrian tightened his grip over the nation and increased the severity of punishment of many crimes. Eventually, they would get the message.

When he turned two hundred years old, Death came to visit him. He too was unchanged by time, still a grinning skeleton wrapped in spectral black robes and armed with an over-sized bone scythe. "I'm not here to challenge you, your majesty," he said with a bow. "I want to make you an offer: I'd like to train you to be the next master of Castlevania."

"And why would I want that?" he asked.

Death swept his bony arm outward. "You are at the extent of your power as you are now. But, it is not enough, is it? The ungrateful and unthinking mortals are going to keep trying to overthrow you. You'd done admirably well so far, I admit. If you held the power of Castlevania, though, your powers could reach much greater heights. They'll figure out your secrets soon, and then they will attack your weaknesses. Becoming Lord Dracula would greatly reduce those."

Adrian narrowed his eyes at the skeleton. "Perhaps, but why are you offering me this?"

Chuckling, he answered, "As it is, you have only a fraction of your father's power. But the way you use that power is most admirable. Sure, you help the mortals, but only if they are obedient and loyal to you. You have taken over the entirety of this great island, and held onto it well; we only need to look around to see evidence of the active use of your power. On the other hand, your father keeps taking and losing his lands. Much of his work is done within Castlevania as well; not much of his magic shows up outside. I would like to see what you could accomplish if you held onto one of the strongest powers in the world."

For a moment, there was still a thought that Castlevania's magic was evil. But the people of the world were rotten. They couldn't appreciate a good thing when they had it, and tried to repay great works by cheating him. If all good things came from God, then it seemed there was very little from God in this world.

"Death, I accept your offer," Adrian said.


	32. Ending of the Broken

_Refer to Switch 9: Adrian learns that his father cursed his hometown's crops._

**Ending of the Broken**

An argument ensued over the usefulness of Vlad's actions, but Adrian hardly paid attention after that revelation. He kept thinking of all the people back home: the old man who was the last of them he had seen, the priest who stayed in the village church to take care of it, the women that his mother had helped as a midwife, the jolly woman who took care of almost all the laundry, the retired knight who taught him how to fight, the other boys and girls that he played or had rivalries with. This winter, it would be a tough time for all of them, and it would all be his father's doing. And he could believe that people would turn to fights and thievery to get by. He'd seen and heard of it before.

That was just another reason that he needed to get himself and his mother out of here.

* * *

A little while later, Death had announced his decision to keep Vlad as Lord Dracula. Vlad said that it was only natural and summoned the servants that had been working for Olrox, telling them to chain him up to prepare for 'dealing with' later on. Although he tried to reassert his control, the servants paid no heed to Olrox's protests and dragged him away. In celebration, Vlad announced that he was going to hold a party for his loyal servants, and his family.

The Moonlit Ballroom was where the party was held. It was magnificent, with gold-trimmed white marble making up the walls, floor, ceiling, and staircases. Gold and white carpet was set everywhere but the main dance floor. There, a large pit held a thirty piece orchestra which played the music; it might have had more instruments if a white grand piano wasn't there as well. Large arched windows displayed a moonlit starry sky, while an enormous candle chandelier kept the place bright. On the walls, there were decorative pillars or statues set at regular distances, with either large mirrors or large paintings between them. While it was a magical place, there were little macabre touches as well, such as the subjects of the art, the skulls in the candleholders, and magical armored knights that were on guard.

Lisa was brought out of the Royal Suite, given a necklace of diamonds and pearls that would keep the residents of the castle respectful and obedient to her. She was given a corseted black dress that Adrian suspected was the most expensive piece of clothing he'd ever seen. Made of satin and whale bone, it had elaborate lace work, as well as gold thread sewn into the skirt. When she arrived, she was also wearing a black fur cloak with a hood, but that was soon put aside so that she could dance with Vlad.

But she was out of the sealed area and the Moonlit Ballroom had nothing keeping anyone from leaving. While his parents were dancing, Adrian slipped aside and searched the surrounding halls. He was dressed similarly to his father, in a ruffled white shirt, black pants, and shined shoes, although he wasn't allowed a cape yet. The name of this place was familiar and the ball didn't hold much interest to him. After several minutes, he found a teleport room that would give him access to his chosen escape route. This was the ideal time, if he could do it without his father's notice.

When he got back into the main ballroom, he noticed that the castle residents were restless. "What is with these obnoxious rules?" one witch said to another. She was wearing a white dress that just barely hid her body, with a lot of bare skin showing. Adrian was trying not to look at her.

But the witch she was talking to was hideous, with snakes for hair and a dress that made it seem like she had scales all over her body. Or maybe she did. "It's because of the mortal woman," she said. "Don't worry, I've heard that once she retires for the night, he's going to throw all those rules out the window." The two of them giggled.

That might be enough to distract them all. Adrian kept to the sides and watched. On the dance floor, Lisa looked unhappy, but she was being obedient to Vlad's wishes. There was a moment when he nearly yelled at her, but the music and general noise level kept Adrian from knowing what was going on between them.

"Alucard," a voice said behind him. "You've been restless tonight, wandering about."

Tensing, he looked around. Death was there, his scythe on his back. "I don't know what to do for this," Adrian said, with a touch of honesty. He'd never been in a position to attend an event like this.

"We will have to address that ignorance at some time," Death said, coming around to Adrian's side. He brushed the boy's hair away from his face, then touched his eyes. Adrian flinched, not sure what to make of it. "You've been wandering around a lot, but you really shouldn't. Your powers have not developed enough for you to truly see what is around you. Most humans, being as lowly as they are, have a weakness in their mind so that they completely ignore things of the spiritual world. As this place is powerful, you can begin to see such things here. And with your father's work, you can see a little more. But you are not seeing this," he indicated the ball and its participants, "for what it really is."

"I'm not?" He hadn't had much trouble getting around so far. But then, he'd only been in a few areas, maybe not even a quarter of the map he had.

Death shook his head. "You are a vampire, but you have not tasted blood of your own will and actions. Because of that, some of your power you cannot use. If you wish to truly walk these hall freely, then you will need to awaken them, or else you may walk into a danger that you cannot see."

Had he been lucky so far? Adrian looked down at the floor. "I have to do that?"

"The longer you put it off, the worse your final wakening to power will be. As it is, your first taste of blood might inflict a momentary loss of control and sanity. There are some precautions you can take to make it easier to handle. It is what he means to do with you at some point. But, no time like the present, right?" He took Adrian's chin and make him look at him. "You're already changing over, and within a few years, you will cease to age further. We're giving you enough time to become a man, because it would be a waste to keep you as a child for eternity. What do you say?"

Was it worth crossing that line? He had a chance tonight to get his mother out of here, but he needed to have a clear head for that. But, would better vision into the reality of this place be needed as well?

As long as it wasn't from a mortal, Adrian felt like it was a worthy chance to take. "What should I do?"

Death seemed to grin wider at that. "Let's go into one of the other rooms. I'll help you out."

* * *

The Moonlit Ballroom was different. Adrian had missed seeing almost a third of the castle residents in attendance, and nearly a third more he had not seen for what they really were. Like the witch in the white dress now had a sparkling white glow around her, but also had markings of a black witch that sought to cause harm. In the halls, he found that stately ghosts drifted through the halls, caught up in some routine that was entirely different from the party going on. Many of those ghosts seemed to drip blood behind them; although it disappeared after a few seconds, it still made Adrian's stomach turn.

He felt strange as well. On sunny summer days, he could feel the rays of the sun falling hot on his skin. Right now, he felt something similar, but cooler; it was the moonlight, which he could feel even when there were no windows around. There was also the taste of blood close in his memory, nothing like what he expected. It had been only been a blood zombie, which Death said was weaker than the blood of a human, thus appropriate to acclimate him with. With that taste, there was also a lingering desire to taste more, much like when he had been given a sample of a delicious new food. Recalling the rush that had come at first, he knew for certain that he had to be cautious with this.

On entering the ballroom again, he noticed that his mother was by herself now, drinking a glass of wine. His father was off boasting to and being admired by his servants. Adrian walked quietly over to Lisa. "Mother, how are you doing?" he whispered, taking her arm.

She smiled on seeing it was him. "Oh, I'm okay. Not used to being treated like this, even from back then."

"Tell them you're tired and want to go back," he suggested. "Then we can take the chance to escape the castle. I still haven't found out how to break the seal for you."

"Well I don't have the books I was going to take, but you're right, this would be a good time."

Holding up the wrist he was wearing the artifact bracelet on, Adrian said, "Don't worry; I have his book of alchemy. He gave a copy to me, and we should find something in there."

She brightened on hearing that. "Yes, certainly. I'll go talk to him; you go wait by the teleport room, and hope he doesn't send many guards, or come himself." She touched his cheek. "Adrian, I can't say why, but you look different tonight."

It was because the blood had given some color to his skin, especially his lips. "Don't worry about that; we have to go."

She nodded, then headed off towards Vlad. Adrian left the ballroom again and waited in a doorway near the teleport room. A few minutes later, she came into the hall as well, wearing the fur cloak and accompanied only by a mummy wrapped in dry linen. Good. Summoning a fireball, he attacked the mummy, dispatching it within a minute. Then he took his mother's hand and hurried her to the teleport room, where he requested to be sent to the West Castle Wall Corridor.

There, he noticed markings that he hadn't seen before. Some looked to be done in white chalk, while others seemed to be scrawled out in blood. But the truly dangerous thing didn't appear until the last long hallway they had to traverse. There had been a series of platforms at level with the doorways, with stairs on both sides heading down to the lower floor. Before, he had felt strange after going down, only to get briefly sick later on. Now he knew why: poisonous orange vapors filled the lower level like a thick mist.

"We need to cross the platforms," he told her.

"It looks easier to go the lower way," Lisa said.

He shook his head. "There's poisonous air there. The platforms go over it."

She gave him a curious look, then nodded. "All right. I trust you, Adrian."

Although she was in that heavy dress and cloak, the gaps between the platforms were small and the edges did not crumble. It took longer, but they crossed over and entered the doorway which led to a hidden passage into the gatehouse. From there, it was a quick trip down the path towards the lake to the two bridges. Due to the celebration in the castle, the ones who controlled the skeletons and zombies were no longer here, meaning there were far fewer monsters on the bridges than before. The night was cool, but Lisa was dressed warmly and it hardly affected Adrian now.

They continued to hurry along the road when they crossed the lake, passing through the dark forest they had first arrived in. At this point, Adrian was no longer sure where they were going. But Lisa told him it would be fine. "As long as there's a road, we should find human settlements eventually," she said, taking off the cloak. "We're definitely going to get some odd looks with these clothes, but depending on where we end up, we might be able to barter them for regular clothes and money to keep going until we find a safe place."

"Fo you know where we are?" Adrian asked.

"Vaguely," she said. "But I'm not certain right now."

Several hours later, they came across a town. But Adrian could see and sense the powers of darkness that many of its residents had, so he let Lisa know that they couldn't trust this place. They walked on. By dawn, they had spotted another town up ahead. The fields around them had a few farmers already up and at work, none sparing a moment to call out to them. So they went on.

The feeling of moonlight had left Adrian some time ago. Now, he felt weary from this trek. "I think we can trust this place," he said.

"We should stay long enough to rest and try to barter these things, but we'll need to move on before night falls," Lisa said. "Hopefully they can give us directions to a place the church has held onto for a long time. Vlad wouldn't be able to follow us there."

"Yeah." He rubbed his eyes, but then noticed something strange. All over the back of his hand, there were tiny pin-pricks of red. They weren't bleeding, but their sudden appearance was worrisome. And, they were on his other hand too. "Mother?" He held his hand up to her.

She stopped on seeing it, then looked to the eastern sky. It was bright, filled with golden light. "No, I hoped it hadn't progressed that far," she said. Then she threw her cloak over Adrian. "Keep that around you," she warned, pulling the hood over his face.

"Why?" he asked. But then sunlight spread across the road; right as it did, he felt that heat like a summer sun beating down on his bare skin. Only, he was totally covered in this cloak and the feeling settled deep inside his body, making him feel ill.

"The sun is dangerous to all vampires, even if they are strong enough to resist it," Lisa said, leaning close to him. "And one as new as yourself, accustomed to the protection of Castlevania, if any of that touches your bare skin, it will kill you." She put her arm around him. "Let's get you inside somewhere."

Shuddering, he clutched the cloak tight around him, keeping his bare hands inside. "I'm sorry," he said in a shaky voice as he tried to continue on while feeling so awful. "They told me I couldn't see all the dangers of Castlevania unless I had taken blood myself. That was right, because that was the only way I saw that poison air. I thought it'd be not as bad since it wasn't from an actual person. I'm sorry, I didn't want to be a monster."

"Don't worry," she said. "I still love you. And you won't be a monster unless you choose to act like one. You can feel guilt, so I know you're still yourself. It's another complication, but we'll work things out."

* * *

Explaining that he was ill, Lisa and Adrian made their way across the Romania countryside. Sometimes they were able to get a ride with someone who had a horse-drawn wagon, but he had to sleep through any daytime travel they made. Lisa had gone into a church to get a priest's blessing and another cross, letting her travel safely through the night. For himself, he used his vampire senses to keep an eye out for danger in the darkness, sometimes fighting off monsters but mostly keeping he and his mother out of notice. They had bartered off one of Lisa's jewels for new clothes, then sold off all but the fur cloak (as it was better at protecting him than anything they saw at the market). Those funds would get them to a place where she could be safe, and he...

It wasn't certain what he would do. He felt sickened whenever he entered a church, one time fainting because he was too near a preaching monk. With time, he might be able to build resistance to sunlight and holy powers. For now, they agreed that he should have further instruction on battle and magic so that he could defend himself should Dracula's forces come after him.

The second time they came across a town's market day, a pair of Church officials approach them. "Are you the woman who sold this five days ago?" one of them asked, holding up the diamond and pearl necklace.

"What does it matter?" Lisa asked. "I am moving to a new place with my son, so that he can better recover from his illness. We need any money that we can get."

"You haven't sold his sword or shield," the other said.

"We need that to protect us from bandits on the road."

"This necklace has an enchantment on it," the first one said. "We need to speak with you both about where you came across it and what you intend to do."

Adrian nearly reached for his sword, but Lisa put her hand on his shoulder. "As long as you don't mean to harm my son."

"Of course not."

* * *

It had been a mistake to go with the church officials. Accusing both of them of witchcraft and being agents of Satan, they were scheduled to be burned at the stake the following day. Adrian wasn't sure what to feel. Sometimes he was incredibly angry; other times he was devastated, like he should be killed because of what he was. But whatever happened, his mother didn't deserve to die. She always tried to do what was right.

The cell was small, with heavy dark rocks forming the walls. Metal bars closed off this area with a large padlock keeping it shut, although it seemed to be a weak point. Although someone had spread new straw in here recently, it still smelled musty and old, with dirt and grime covering everything. There was a stone slab for a bench and bed, and a hole for nature's business. An old rank smell came from the latter. It was the most miserable place he had been in.

Once night fell, and his strength returned, Adrian used his fire magic to melt the lock on the bars keeping him a prisoner. The night guards were outside the strongly built prison, so he was able to find the box where they had put their things to get his sword, shield, and cloak. The lantern was long lost, left back in Castlevania because he hadn't been allowed to bring that to the ball. On seeing it, he grabbed the silver cross his mother had been given too. It seemed to burn his skin, but he was able to put it in a pocket with little effect. Then he went to find the cell where his mother was kept.

There were not many prisoners in here, so he found her quickly. She smelled strongly of blood and bruising. However, it did not affect him strongly, perhaps because of the silver cross. "Mother, let's get out of here," he said, going to hug her.

"Oh, Adrian," she said in a strained voice. She smiled a little. "I can't leave. But you should."

He shook his head. "I don't want to leave without you. If anything, you should leave and I should stay. My blood is cursed, and it may always be that way."

She clasped his head and put her forehead on his. "It's my fault that you're that way," she whispered. "And I really can't leave. They broke the bones in my feet, so I can't even stand up. I believe in you, Adrian. I know in my heart that you can do good in the world still. I'll be glad to see you gone from here."

"I can't leave you to die!" he said, embracing her and breaking down into tears. He'd gone into a place of chaos and evil by himself just to get her back; Adrian certainly wasn't leaving her to die in a normal place like this.

For a few moments, Lisa let him be. Then she nudged him away. "It'll be fine," she said, smiling although her eyes had some tears as well. "I'm going to die at some time, but you will keep living. If you try to get me out now, then we'll both die an ignoble death. But listen to me one last time."

One last time... it sounded awful, filling him with a sense of dread, as well as a wish that he could do anything that would get both of them out safe. But, she was right. With what his father had done to him, he was going to stop aging in a few years, for eternity, but she would continue to age until she died. And he wouldn't wish his situation on her. Adrian nodded, even if he hated this.

She didn't seem affected by it, though. It was like she didn't care about these dingy surroundings or her broken feet, only that he had come to her. "First of all, don't hate humans because of what they do. Ours is a hard lot in the world, being up against natural ills and the incredible forces of the supernatural with only a little bit of magic and strength of our own. And in such a short time as well; it is no wonder many become desperate for some explanation of all the harshness or for some portion of power. You should know, since you lived like us so far."

"I'll remember that," he said. He knew what it was like to work hard for many hours of the day with only meager portions of food, hoping for better times. When she put it that way, it was easier to understand why they had been called out so strongly just because of an enchanted necklace. With his father's curse over the crops, they wanted an explanation of why, as well as someone to take the blame.

At that point, she seemed to notice the end of the silver chain that was hanging out of his pocket. Lisa nodded and tucked it in more securely. "Next, I don't know if you'll get another opportunity to talk to your father when he will listen. But if you do, tell him that I will love him for all of eternity. I know it seems foolish, but despite all that's happened, I know that I've seen a side of Vlad that few have. If he can't redeem himself, at least he may be able to stop causing harm to the world if he opens his eyes to what he's really become. I would forgive him in knowing what pain drove him to this, at least."

It certainly didn't sound wise, but he nodded. "If that's what you want, I'll try."

"Good." She patted his pocket. "Lastly, my son, I believe in you. I know that you can defy your own curse and bloodline in order to be a great person. Don't push yourself to the point where it kills you, but keep faith in the goodness of humanity, the world, and yourself. I love you, Adrian, and you'll always be my little boy."

He hugged her again. "I love you too, mother." Then, as much as he didn't want to, he got up and left her there. One of the guards was coming back in, but as it was night, it was easy enough for Adrian to rush past him and out into the dark streets.

* * *

Adrian stayed in the town long enough to watch the burning. It was painful and there were many points where he wanted to run away. However, he didn't want leave his mother surrounded by people who all thought she was an evil witch. He knew that she had seen him at least once, sitting on a nearby roof wearing the black fur cloak to protect himself from the sun. He knew because she had smiled in his direction and then put her mind completely away from the moment.

With her death, the last piece of his childhood burned away too. He wouldn't use the name his mother had given him anymore. Instead, he would use the name his father had given him, Alucard. Not because he wanted to be like his father, far from it. He wanted to use it so that he remembered to take the opposite path and try to find light as a being of the night. After all, there were the stars and the moon; there had to be some hope for him.

As the crowds began to leave, Adrian felt the presence of another dark being. A motion of black was at the edge of his vision, but he kept himself calm. Then Death was fully in his view, looking over the town square. "It seems I got here late."

Alucard frowned. "I don't believe that. After all, you are Death."

"Believe what you want; it's what he does." He put a bony hand on his shoulder. "I was told to bring you both back."

Feeling defiant, he looked up into the skeleton's eyes. "I went there of my own will. And I will not return against my will. Even if I must fight you."

Death only laughed. "You can be confident in saying that due to the presence of the sun. But at night?"

"I would still try."

"Hmm." He looked back to the still burning fire. "I have a way of knowing things. You were the last to hear her speak. What did she say?"

Alucard looked back to the fire himself. "I don't need to tell you. And I know you can't claim her soul."

"Do you?"

"The angels came for her already." He knew because the silver cross in his pocket had become more powerful without any warning. After a second, it didn't even hurt him although he could still feel it. It was his mother's dying wish for him, he believed.

"I see," Death said, but his tone indicated wary concern. "Aren't you warm in that black fur, in the sun?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine." And he was, to where he didn't feel ill being out here. Weak still and not ready to face direct sunlight, but not ill.

"Your resistance to the light is growing extraordinarily fast," he said. "Or perhaps it is more than that. I will leave you be, as you wish. At least, for the time being. But remember this: no matter how far you try to walk into the light, the darkness will always remain in your soul." Then Death turned into a haze, gone in a second.

"So will the light," Alucard said, getting back onto his feet. He was on his own now, a thirteen year old vampire who still had a lot to learn. Death might leave him alone, but the creatures of darkness would recognize him and try to drag him fully into darkness. And he wouldn't let them. Putting his hand to his chest, he bowed his head towards the fire. "Goodbye Mother."

Then he fled from the town, out to find his new life.

**The End**

* * *

_If you're curious, the 'canon' path through this story is 1-3, 5-8, 19-20, 24-25, 29-30, 32._

_I've played many Castlevania games, although not all; which ones should be fairly apparent. The biggest influence is Symphony of the Night itself, although Lament of Innocence gives some artifacts while Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow gives some insight into how the castle works. But mostly SotN. For instance, I wanted to explain the presence of Olrox there. He seems like he should be important, given that he has an area of the castle named for him and it connects to the central room of the castle.  
_

_Also, to the two of you who followed the story... I'm terribly sorry for spamming your in-box with notices! Got a little enthusiastic about updating today. But I hope it was worth it.  
_

_I'd love to know what you think of this.  
_


End file.
